Smile
by Lord Kelvin
Summary: Don't smile. You'll rule the world...or be conquered by insanity. Sonic takes the risk when Eggman decides to spit in the face of heroes and eradicate Earth. Life becomes survival for the restless.
1. Age

Author's note: Their struggle is as constant as our lives. One drop of insanity is enough to forever alter this. Join me in a quest for true madness, a search for the bottom of Your abyss. The servant humbly accepts everyone willing to enter. No interruptions. No tricks.

The smiles are real.

Feedback is golden.

Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are copyright SEGA.

**_Smile_**

Teeth gritting, he was ready to imitate a kettle.

He poofed mercilessly at the image. Eggman could not stand for this. He would not stand for Sonic's idiotic muzzle glaring into his ingenious face.

That hedgehog, _he_ could get away with everything. Grab a free chilidog? Sure. Cause a traffic jam? Certainly. Annoy an echidna? Why not. Destroy a base? No problem! Be stupid?! Hell, yes!

Eggman slammed his fists against the metal frame furiously. "Why don't you _die_, hedgehog?!"

No answer. The dark windowless space was empty. Nobody would hear him scream. Nobody would feel the sweat trickling down his chin, dropping to hit the rusty metal floor.

He smacked himself on the face, thus clearing out the wet sweaty lines, and paced around in the solitary room. Each step, accompanied by a lonely light bulb buzzing beneath the heavy ceiling, was forceful yet clumsy. The man felt anger slowly draining the remains of his life force, and had to rest.

A loud heaving breath escaped his lips, parted carelessly, ready for another outburst. He clutched a panel's edge near the wall, hissing in turn with screens, always on, but never put to use. Eggman's tired eyes closed underneath the dark round glasses. A temporary sigh, turning into a wheeze.

Rumbling. The lamp swung away for the light to reject him. Deep breaths, Ivo. Relax. It would cease. Those infidels never die, but always fail. He held tight not to lose balance, no matter how much his feet begged for a fall. He looked up at the lonesome shine above. Could a man…not stand his own ground?

"No! Why can I not? Why have You forsaken me?!" Robotnik roared.

Silence was his treatment. Earth ceased speaking to him through nervous quakes. Now, when he demanded an answer, even the one thing that dared to communicate with genius…it ran. Eggman snorted. The world bred cowards and fools. Genius raised itself.

Those fingers squeezed on the sharp edge to a point inner pressure forced him to let go, returning to the middle of the small steel compound. He looked up at the light, still swinging from his steps and humid tones. C-could it comprehend genius? The scientist hesitantly paced towards it, reached out, and set the shine in his palm, so it wouldn't move away, warming his hand.

"All I need is the world. It is the only thing I ever wanted," he whispered into the light. "Ignorant fools are in power. Plumb idiots enforce it." The eyes sealed shut, a quiver mounting on his lips. A bite forced them to be still. "And _I_ am the villain!"

In a burst of rage, Eggman thrust his hand down, pulling the light along with him. Wires snapped to a faint spark, releasing the object into his will. It wouldn't shine. The happy glow ceased to a dying red on a thin coil, throbbing on the floor among glass shards. Release. His palm fell limp as a belittling gaze stomped the wire into the ground until nothing could be seen in the blaring darkness.

Nothing, except…

Eggman stepped back, looking into a monitor screen. Only static was on, he thought, not caring about battle tearing his city apart. It was none of his concern, unlike vibrant blissful technology. The doctor knew exactly how it was built, where each part came from, what robots assembled it. A shiny logo on the top right corner: a red mustachio smiley caught his attention. How did it occur that such a signature became the trademark of his empire?

He could not recall it, staring deeper into the red ink blotch. Eggman ignored that the screen went blank, a missile fired at its surveillance camera.

The man's voice became softer, more silent while his lonely fingertip caressed the icon. "All I wanted…is all I'll ever want. But the world doesn't want me. The world rejects true genius for…" the finger slipped.

Robotnik frowned, looking away from the picture. "My dreams… M-my dream." Hastily, he turned back to the logo. "I am not insane for having a dream."

"That I follow…no matter the pain, no matter the failure, no matter _what_!"

To do, to go, to reach the final destination. He knew everything, yet was forced to return to the beginning every time, more bruised and hopeless than before. The dream allured him, and Robotnik obeyed its call as loyally as a robot could serve. This, however, meant nothing, for he was forsaken: by his grandfather, by his foes, by his allies, by all that rightfully belonged to him, including the world.

Could a damned man rule his world? Could he, Doctor Ivo Robotnik, take damnation into his own two hands and become its sovereign?

When a man cannot smile, he can rule every thing. And he could not! The weight of failure turned his lips down from hope. As the atrocity dominated him, so he would – the world. Piece by piece, he would disassemble its resistance, steadily grasping more and more crumbs until there would be enough grain for a whole.

The notorious doctor coughed, still trying to think and calculate. His breath turned steady, eyes beginning to rest in the dark, and posture turned to lax. He was ready to live a dream again. Yet before another step could be taken, the entrance door slid open, revealing a furnace outside. The remnants of Robotropolis lay down before their master.

It was no surprise when a figure emerged from the flame.

"You are old, doctor," a crisp mechanic voice uttered.

Eggman had to go.

With a smile.


	2. Moustache

Mecha Sonic fell. So did Robotropolis. But the man's spirit was too high above to notice any of this. The smile guided him through burning halls and streets like a compass. Right now, it was his only pathfinder. A drowning man would not ignore _a straw_. And his chances were growing thin.

"Resistance is futile, doctor," the same voice sounded from behind.

He glared at the insolent servant. "Resistance is _never_ futile!"

Eggman pressed a button on his suit to reveal a part of the city untouched by flame. This time he would unsheathe the heart of his citadel to the hateful world. The man looked at this gloomy megastructure with pride, for it was the birthplace of science no other had the right to witness.

Metal Sonic said nothing. His memory banks contained no information about this area.

Facing his only companion, he tried to speak legibly, already knowing the outcome, "Not even you, Metal, can understand true genius. That is why you will stay here and guard what is left of my city. All defensive systems are now linked to your mainframe."

He patted the machine's shoulder cordially; the grin weakened.

"Will not compute."

Now the man would remove whatever improvised will he had ever allowed the robot. "Initiate defence protocol…Signature Omega."

"Affirmative."

With that, the master reached an underground elevator to take him deep beneath Earth's rubble. He could barely breathe, watching Sonic's replica disassemble and assimilate with his city. Metal became its eyes and ears. Every circuit morphed into a weapon. Cold and ruthless, it would not allow anyone to trespass into the ruler's dream. This capital would fight to the last man.

Robotnik always knew how to combine creation and destruction. Uncountable fates lay in his two hands. That day, he would decide all of them, set in a sterile and tidy room with no labels or flashing information screens. Blinding light made every detail perfectly visible, including the dirt carried by his shoes.

He would have to…ignore his imperfect persona. The smear marks his gloves left on a heavily illuminated desk would not hinder progress. N-no!

The doctor ran out of the laboratory to the bathroom in a burst of panic. Shoes, gloves, glasses, his entire suit! Eggman had to dispose of them and stuff the vile belongings in the bin.

Done, the man thought, relieved. Then he looked at his shaky bare palms, covered in bruises from every endeavour.

"I demand..." he started, unable to stop the tremors.

Fingertips squeezed on the sink's rim. The grip was firm, like Eggman wanted himself to be. Deep breaths. Hands would obey their master. He grinned at the mirror in success, seeing his face. Quickly, the scientist examined all the details. Baggy eyes…a quick wash would refresh them. Letting go, he quickly turned cold water to the limit, splashing the moisture on the visage. So cool and clean. Robotnik smiled, looking at his reflection. Teeth – okay; not like he's had a bite to eat for a day. And the moustache, ah, the wonderful accessory that made him infamous. Would he resist curling it? Of course not!

Eggman chuckled at the sensation of his fingers twirling the firm hairs. It was a prized possession after all. Smiling, he turned off the water and got ready to dress in something _perfectly_ charming like…

"What's this?" the solitary man blurted out, returning to the mirror.

He touched the moustache again, eyes widening, lips pursed nervously. Blinking. The mirage would go away. It would! More blinking, that should help. No, it was still there: the hideous proof of how imperfect the person in the mirror looked.

Yes, it's the person in the mirror! Eggman laughed like an owl, grinning up at the ceiling. Unfortunately, its polished metal surface gave a reflection much like the one in the silvery glass. Eyes shut tight. Pain surged through the lips as he bit them to unleash indignation upon himself.

A grey hair! How could it be? Doctor Ivo Robotnik did not have grey hair. But, if the brainless hair thought otherwise, it would be forsaken. Another blink. Eggman was merciful and would not destroy unless forced. Still there… Shaking his head resentfully, the man would do his duty.

Humming. He grabbed a shaving machine. Its vibrations made it difficult to hold, so he cursed _those insolent arms_. Eyes closed, a few slow movements. It tickled his nose, but the scientist was not in the mood to feel that. Loss conquered him from head to toe.

Eggman glared into the mirror once the job was done. He snorted at it, putting down the gadget. Now his persona was flawless. The male took a spare set of clothing, excitement mounting as creation marched closer to his will. Before returning to the laboratory, Eggman examined the reflection once more. He nodded in approval, but lifted the shaving machine.

Satisfied, the mad doctor returned to the task at hand.

He would take care of the broken mirror later.

Now the madman would perform the act of ultimate scientific genius. Excitedly, he would take the tiniest parts from hidden compartments in his grand laboratory and put them in an orderly manner on the table.

The grin widened as he looked at those components. A pushed button lowered a welding crane from the ceiling. He grabbed hold of the control handle and put on his eyewear. Sparks reflected themselves in Eggman's goggles as the first puzzle pieces grew into a picture. The heat from the crane only made him work harder.

"Woo-hoo-hoo!" he exclaimed feverishly.

His hand would quickly grab another piece of equipment. Zooming in, the male would calibrate the circuitry according to the single flawless schematic in his head. The core was almost complete!

Power outage. His underground haven succumbed to the dark.

"My power!" he exclaimed, seeing all light drained from him. Eggman would not be controlled! He kicked a switch under his desk: "Hah!"

Backup generators returned the future into his eyes. The genius could now resume. Piece by piece, the manual assembly process would reach its end. Reality was starting to obey his will.

Not for long. A screeching noise came from the loudspeakers, mounted in the lab's corners.

"Doctor Robotnik…" Metal Sonic's voice uttered slowly, "resistance is-" silence followed.

That would not disturb a master at work. Metal had given him all the time required to finish. His face was now smothered with a snide grin, huffing gleefully, as the goggles were no longer needed. The villain's invention was complete.

"This is the commander of the G.U.N. ground force speaking. We know your exact location, Eggman," the speakers activated again.

He snorted, even though no one could hear him: "I don't give a damn! I'm busy!"

More voices crawled up in the background. Tails, Knuckles, Rouge…everyone was there teamed up against the one man.

"You're finished, Eggman! I'm coming to get ya!" _his_ voice was heard.

"Are you sure it's wise, sir?"

"Just leave this to me."

Other announcements didn't matter. _He_ was coming. Robotnik's true rival would come. And he didn't have to wait, as the scientist could soon hear the infernal hedgehog approaching.

Quickly, he called a robotic transport to pick up the newest invention. Genius would not be disturbed prematurely!

The lab's entrance blasted open too soon for Eggman's liking. Growling, he could only watch the heavy steel door fly into the opposite wall. Sonic spun inside right behind it. The blinding light made a cocky grin on his face more than evident.

"Game over. You've lost, Eggman!" he called, pacing forward.

Robotnik's lips quivered, but his stature would not. "Foolish hedgehog, my game is far from over," the man said, chuckling humorously. "_I_ have all the aces, Sonic."

"You're really off your rocker, Eggy. You don't even have a moustache!" the hedgehog joked, adding a chortle in the end.

That was…**the last straw**!!!


	3. Saw

"Hedgehog!" roared Eggman, pointing a shaky finger at Sonic.

The hero just laughed. "Come here, Eggy."

Sonic began approaching the scientist, and, surprisingly, Eggman did not step back in fear. He just stood there, observing. Suddenly, the maniac erupted in chuckles, shaking his head.

Thinking he'd better go for a grab, the hedgehog took a leap towards the madman. But, when his hand was about to reach the villain, Sonic reluctantly bounced back.

"Foolish creature…" Robotnik mocked as he watched the little vermin flee from an invisible force field.

"That's cheating! Don't you have a robot at least?" Sonic asked, charging up from a Chaos Emerald he held behind.

Robotnik's eyes flickered devilishly. "As a matter of fact…I have something better," he grinned, snapping his fingers.

A metal hand thrust itself out of a small opening in the wall, snatching the gem from Sonic. It then retracted, carefully placing the Chaos Emerald in Eggman's palm.

"Yoink! I _have_ all the aces, old friend," wheezed the villain, the smile beneath his nose as wide as the girth of his stomach. Thanks to the beautiful blue jewel Sonic's presence became but a minor nuisance. All according to the grand plan.

"That's it! You're going down!"

Sonic sprung up into the air, quickly rolling into a spinning ball of razor-sharp quills. Eggman just turned his back on the move and paced away. How could that loser ignore a hero like Sonic? The hedgehog spindashed at Robotnik valiantly, but could go no further than the force field allowed him the first time. He growled, skidding to a landing, a glare fixed at Eggman's departing figure. The blue blur had no choice other than to charge again. First, he accelerated in place, digging into the floor a bit, as the quills effectively scratched the metal support. A swift push.

There it was! The energy shifted a bit. Just a few more goes and he'd take Eggman by surprise.

Robotnik yawned theatrically, until he found himself in a designated place, right under a circular white lamp. He looked into the light, smiling.

Somewhat hesitantly, he whispered the words: "Signature Omega, Code Blue…"

Rumbling. The circular part limited by the lamp zoomed down, enclosing Eggman in a metal tube. Mad laughter emanated from the inside.

"You won't get away this time…" Sonic hissed, still banging his head against the barrier.

Not losing a grain of speed, the hedge kept battering the final obstacle until a high-pitched sound broke out. Losing coordination, the hero swayed and tumbled, falling further than the field used to be. A few blinks to make sight less fuzzy, and he was back on his feet, about to break into the tube.

But something went wrong. Eggman's laughter dulled down into a brief repetitive giggle, followed by inaudible whispering. From that point, sounds inside were becoming more and more repulsive. Crackling, a spill, an old man's yelp. Then, a silent whine that gradually turned into a pain-filled shriek. The man locked inside cried for mercy, while Sonic stood there, baffled.

"What the heck?"

In less than a minute, noises settled down, and only a heavy breath troubled his ears. The sound of a spinning blade, and the tube moved back up silently revealing…Eggman?

Sonic couldn't believe his eyes. Once the smoke cleared out, he could by no means say the one at front was the mad doctor. Before him stood a robotic three-metre-tall humanoid. A blue Chaos Emerald for one eye, oxygen tubes inserted into the nostrils, a curved metal plate protecting the back of its head. The torso was a shiny gargantuan armour with an obvious Eggman's logo, but no iconic E number, just the initials "S.O.". Missile warheads were visible below the ribcage. It stood on two pneumatic grasshopper legs with magnetic soles. Though, Sonic's attention was fixed mostly on its arms and shoulders, the main source of danger. One shoulder had a laser pointer, which was very uncomfortably aimed at the hero's forehead. A plasma cannon was mounted on the other.

He didn't have time to pay greater notice to the hands, other than the fact one palm was replaced with a pair of circular saws.

An interruption came down to join them.

"Need any help, blue boy?" a familiar male voice came from behind. "Whoah, is that Eggman?"

"Knuckles, Rouge, get away!" the hero motioned to them worriedly.

Eggman, seeing that Sonic had to turn around, set the saws into a spin and shouted: "Chaos Control!"

The cerulean emerald shone brightly at those words, teleporting him behind the two newcomers. Worry turned into agony.

"No!" Sonic exclaimed, seeing the saw-equipped arm approach Knuckles.

The echidna didn't even have the time to turn around, still confused by Sonic's greeting words. That is, not until the two parallel blades, each spinning in a different direction, touched his fur, the curved edges tearing bits out of the way to allow further movement. Pain thrust onward, quickly scraping a fragment of Knuckles' spine, cracking it into a bloody mass, plunging deeper as to reach his abdomen from behind. Internal organs shredded into mincemeat, senses blacked out. The guardian's blood was all over Eggman's armour.

Obvious satisfaction spread on Robotnik's face. He pushed once more to show Sonic a gaping hole in what used to be his friend. Pulling out, the monster kicked the corpse away with its powerful leg. Warm crimson dripped on the floor, pooling around Knuckles. His eyes remained open like his mouth. There was a split second of silence, before Rouge's horrified voice broke out.

She wanted to run to Knuckles, but just a glimpse at the doctor made her tremble, forgetting that echidna ever meant anything to the bat. Had Eggman finally gone insane? Rouge feared she would receive an answer as the robot turned to face her.

Sonic spindashed to Robotnik, a lump in his throat making him unable to speak or believe the evil's actions. Eggman's organic eye turned in his direction and a homing missile fired at the hero, using the laser targeting, which had been aimed at the azure one the entire time.

"Don't interrupt!" the machine commanded, adding a whole missile barrage, emptying half of his missile pack to keep the hedgehog busy.

Rouge tried to make a run for it, but the genius was well-prepared. The other arm that Sonic couldn't examine earlier shot in her direction with a grappling hook, securing her in a tight sharp hold.

"No, no, anyone but me! Knuckles, help!" she wailed mindlessly, fighting the vicious claw that squeezed bloody lines in her body as it got closer.

"You leave her alone!" Sonic's shout reached him, ignored whatsoever. The hedgehog had enough trouble dodging the missiles, at least, that's what the doctor thought.

Knowing how precious every second was, the hedgehog ran back towards the villain, having completely forgotten about the laser dot on his head. Robotnik didn't pay attention to her struggles, all according to plan.

Sonic slid underneath the robot, pleased at how a classic dodging tactic would work even in those dreadful conditions. However, the moment he was passing the madman, Robotnik turned Rouge in the missiles' direction.

While she was trying to break free, the doctor's face took most of her view. The bat was unable to see the upcoming.

"In death, we are all alone."

The hero could not do anything except close his eyes. Rouge disintegrated from existence, and it was all his fault!

Eggman, however, stood strong and tall, grinning at his nemesis as the claw released less than a third of her cadaver – everything left.

"She was in friendly hands, Sonic," he chuckled, leaning forward to the hedgehog. "I did what _you_ asked."

"Bastard!" the hero hissed, trying to choke his tears. One false move and he'd be next; Sonic would have to make every step count.

The cannon on the machine's shoulder charged up, firing a few shots at Sonic to keep him on the run. "Tsk, tsk. No need for such language."

Eggman watched him as the little mammal rolled and squirmed to escape an everlasting series of projectiles. He had to run in circles around the robot. Sonic would not be cornered. This wasn't about saving his ass. It was about putting the maniac out, permanently.

Zooming in a steady trajectory, Sonic learnt enough about the machine's moves to head for the kill. Spinning into a tornado, the hedgehog sucked in a few shots that were then launched back at the robot. Eggman was forced to extend a shield from his bladed arm and stop firing.

It was his chance. While the tornado was still active, Sonic jumped at the robot, grabbing onto the only thing he could hold. It happened to be Eggman's breathing tube. Just one tug…

For the first time during battle, concern flickered in Robotnik's eye and he released a gasp. Using the other arm, he picked Sonic up, and thrust him hard into the ground. It was then crucial to carefully insert the tube back while the dastardly fur ball lay disoriented.

"For you, Sonic…the doctor is **not in**!"


	4. Flash

The heavy metal leg slammed atop Sonic. Eggman's nemesis would be crushed in seconds by his greatest masterpiece – himself! The madman grinned, giggling uncontrollably as the groaning underneath became louder.

"Stay still!" he ordered in a mocking tone, quickly bashing the hedgehog's back with the robot's foot.

Electromagnets on the grasshopper appendage pulled it closer to the floor, applying more pressure on Sonic's body. Trying to get a steady grip on the floor, the hero attempted to lift himself a bit. To no avail. Having noticed the hedgehog's attempts, Eggman sent him a powerful kick on the head. It lurched him away from the evil machine.

What an excuse for a…breather. Sonic coughed, feeling that whatever major bruises the villain had caused were located inside. He was an experienced fighter. Right now the scars on his back only provided him an immense hot sensation. The hero had less than five minutes until his body caught up to the actual pain.

Standing up groggily, the hedgehog glared at his encroaching enemy. "Is that all…" he said, needing to spit the substance gathered in his throat.

Sonic closed his eyes unwillingly, wanting to finish the line, but couldn't. Speaking was simply too painful!

"Ah, Sonic. Why don't you just join your friends in the corner?" asked the villain, pointing at his deceased comrades.

He wouldn't take any more shit from the insane doctor. Sonic rolled into a ball, accelerating in place to charge at the towering monstrosity. Robotnik grinned at his efforts, having him within targeting range. The cannon fired, shooting a ball of plasma at Sonic. Luckily, he's had enough energy to dodge the hit by shifting to the left. Big mistake. Eggman had counted on it and launched another three projectiles at blazing speed. One had barely touched the blue blur's edge, but it forced Sonic to jump up to the very ceiling. A scream burst out of him, as the scalding sphere had melted a good portion of his back fur.

Squinting heavily, he could only hold onto the light support mechanisms on top. It was so bright that he started seeing colours in the white light.

Eggman spared no time by firing a missile at him. However, as soon as it closed in on the hedgehog, the rocket went straight up, ruining the man's perfect lighting.

Heat sensors! That's how those things worked. As long as the bright light bulbs didn't seethe his hands, Sonic was safe from explosives.

"My light!" Robotnik growled. "You won't steal it!"

More missiles shot. This once Sonic knew exactly what to do, but he'd need to do it fast. Heh, as always! The hedgehog propelled himself forward, swinging from one support beam to another. A rocket went off close, making his hand slip off the steel frame. Alarmed, he rolled into a ball to whirl just a bit further in the air. Those rockets were gaining fast, and he's had them right where he wanted.

Sonic zoomed above Robotnik's bald head, and successfully landed on the ground. He'd let the villain do the dirty work. Eggman turned, not wanting to lose sight of the moronic pest.

In the meantime, remaining missiles impacted with the ceiling, setting an avalanche of hot lamps and debris to fall on the robot. Sonic grinned, watching the bulbs break as they landed in a vivid flash. Eggman was but a pile of rock and glass now.

"Keep your light," he mumbled, coughing a bit. "Bastard…"

What he heard next, forced his quills to shoot up in violent fright; that lunatic laughter. And it was coming directly from behind.

Something grabbed him, putting an unbearable squeeze on his bones, and raised the little hedgehog. He was now face to face with Eggman. The same claw that held Rouge hostage had now captured Sonic. He gulped, thinking it really might be his turn.

"You didn't think you'd put me out easily, hmm?"

The brave hedge grinned cockily, revealing the blood on his brilliant teeth. "As a matter of fact…" he said, imitating the doctor's earlier words.

Sonic's hand pushed forward to attach to the bluish gem in Robotnik's eye socket. Eggman's human eye widened at the dastardly deed. The cocky glare then turned into malice, as Sonic pulled the Chaos Emerald right out of Eggman's head.

The machine's hold loosened, and Sonic could easily fight his way to freedom. Trembling and fizzing, the robot's limbs went berserk. The laser marker travelled around the room pointlessly as Eggman wobbled, unable to regain control of his own body without the emerald power source.

"What have you done?!"

Fluids leaked from the exposed socket. The man was in obvious pain, unable to calm down. Robotic hands were unsuitable to ease the torture, only able to hide his face from Sonic. The hedgehog looked at the mildly amusing scene in silence, letting his grin do the talking. Robuttnik got what he deserved for messing with the hero. Sonic bounced the emerald in his hand, healing with its power.

But then convulsions weakened. Agonising screams stilted into a loud breath, finally, morphing into a broken giggle. The hedgehog clutched the emerald tight just in case. Eggman's arms revealed his face again, but there was no more a misshapen hole in his skull. A beam weapon took its place.

"Huh?"

"Let's take a picture, Sonic! Smile!" Eggman shouted cheerfully, laughter resonating from the walls.

The marker returned on his forehead, and with a dull click, Eggman fired straight at him. Sonic could barely even notice the shot. Next thing he felt, no, saw…was his whole body plastered into the metal wall. As he fell out, a very detailed imprint came into view.

He wouldn't be taken by surprise now, though. Sonic had a Chaos Emerald. Holding onto the jewel, he was about to motion for Chaos Control, but another direct shot misplaced him to a corner. Sonic could no longer feel the emerald's power.

"What a joyous reunion!" Eggman commented victoriously, seeing Sonic lay atop Knuckles' corpse.

The claw extended to return the discarded gem into his will. "Ah, gotcha!

"No…" Sonic whispered weakly, before shutting his eyes tight and shambling over.

The hedge took a desperate leap for the jewel, his hand landing atop Eggman's as the villain pulled the treasure closer. He wouldn't let go no matter the pain…no matter _what_.

"Away!" Eggman hissed.

His empty eye beam struck the nuisance. Sonic's senses blacked out for a split second, his right leg cramped, but the emerald was still there. He grinned as the robot dragged him up. Eggman gave him a pitiful glare. The hedgehog's head slumped on his shoulder, that trademark grin still there. Sonic snorted and spat right at Robotnik's large nose.

The maniac was not impressed. Eggman's machine swung its arm forcefully, trying to peel the blue hedge off. Seeing this did not convince the insolent vermin to let go, the saws mounted into his other arm began spinning. Sonic watched the saw gain momentum, but did nothing until the metal blade swiped half of his top quills off.

What was he even doing?! Sonic couldn't give up now that he knew Signature Omega's weakness. He'd lose the clash, but win the battle. The hedgehog allowed himself to be launched into the air with the next swing. He landed carefully, managing to stand up somehow.

Eggman had successfully inserted the Chaos Emerald back into his head. The large cannon on his shoulder kept Sonic occupied at a safe distance during the process.

He groaned in satisfaction once the jewel's energy entered his system. "Rejoice, hedgehog! You will witness Robotnik's full power!"

Perking up a brow, he watched the target laser turn blue and begin running circles around Sonic's figure. Eggman's breathing tubes glowed brightly and steam emanated from the stolen emerald. The villain's human eye closed

A bright flash.

Run for life, blue blur! He quickly rolled into a ball and spun out of the way, and even then the marking laser couldn't lose track. That was his smallest concern, though. As soon as the flash reached his eyes, it seemed to have…returned into the emerald. In fact, the gem managed to suck out all the light from the room. The wrecked laboratory turned pitch-black for a split second. Eggman's fake eye shone like a beacon in unrelenting darkness. Before lights came back on, however, a ray fired from the emerald. It was a huge cone-shaped power vacuum.

That was one lucky miss, Sonic thought, as he had rolled out of the way. He believed this, though, only until he tried to unroll. The hero's left hand went numb. Glimpsing to the side, Sonic was horrified to see it whiter than snow.

Still trying to get over the initial shock, he couldn't feel the arm, as if it wasn't even there! Life force was drained from the body part, leaving but an organic shell.

Eggman wasted no time. Running up towards the stunned hedge, the robot pounced on him. Robotnik took a clean saw swipe at his enemy's ear and topped the blow off with a powerful kick.

Sonic was lurched against the wall like a puppet.

"Wuahahaha!" the man laughed whole-heartedly, witnessing his enemy's defeat. "Game over…_hedgehog_."

Robotnik looked at the living Sonic one last time.

And the emerald flashed again.


	5. Nuke

One glance at their remains was enough before the room went dark. He had to **go-o**! Shovelling up, the furry ball leapt out of the way. This time, he was sure to move further not to take risks.

Eggman turned blind for a second after the blow. By the way the robot wobbled while firing, the vile man was also uncoordinated and deaf. Were it not for pinpoint accuracy, he'd have been a sitting duck. That damn target laser on his shoulder was in the way.

Sonic needed a plan, and quick. Signature Omega was welded hermetically and polished into such brilliance so even a spindash would simply slip off. Rolling away from Eggman's plasma blasts, he looked for something sharp enough in the lab to knock the device out of commission. And were his assumptions wrong…his ass was fried already anyway.

Nothing. He didn't find anything that looked strong or sharp enough. Unless… The tips of his quills stiffened straight at the thought. Regretfully, Sonic bit his lip and begged for forgiveness of ethics and morality. He'd have to do it. Even if the hero would drop down to a villain's level, he would defeat this ultimate evil that Eggman has become.

Sonic knelt down in front of Rouge's remains and lowered his head mournfully. The man felt in total control, relishing the view.

"Touching. Too bad nobody will pay respects _to you_."

Using the right hand he could move, Sonic broke her sturdy wing. The crack got Eggman's attention, so he immediately shot a plasma ball to end the dramatic scene. Rouge was now literally erased from existence. One wing fragment that Sonic held was the only proof such a bat ever lived.

Sucking in his lips to control their nervous vibrations, Sonic darted away from the villain's threat.

"A warrior to the end… Have a medal!" Eggman chortled spitefully, giddy whilst the Chaos Emerald charged up in his head.

Night. The cone of light touched the side of Sonic's muzzle. His eyes widened at the sensation, and only one pupil could return to its normal shape. Robotnik made him half-blind! As soon as the madman could see the result, he erupted in cruel laughter: almost half of Sonic's head turned pearly white. Next time, he would be merciful and put the little pest out of his misery.

The hero had different thoughts on the matter. It was fortunate enough the beam didn't reach his neck. He still had one ear and eye to rely upon. More than enough when fighting a fat butt like Eggman. Without a blink to lose, he sped off to dash circles around Signature Omega.

When Robotnik regained balance, he was surprised that Sonic managed to smile with the active part of his face…and was circling the scientist at speeds that prevented his laser from accurately pointing the hedgehog's path.

Enraged by this tactic, Eggman fired a salvo in random directions, hoping on slowing Sonic down. To no avail; a dusty twister had already formed around the robot. Growling that his conventional force did not work, the doctor paced forward, trying to move closer to a corner and make it difficult to manoeuvre. The shield on his bladed arm extended, in case the fool would decide to ram him head-on.

Some fizzing caught his attention. The unintelligible static was then joined by a voice of sorts, but Eggman could not determine their source. Turning his head, he could barely resist swearing his soul out loud. A feral growl escaped his mouth.

"What have you done?!"

Rouge's wing was impaled into his targeting mechanism. Grunting, Eggman took it out and crushed the object in his claw. The whirlwind started clearing out, and he had already noticed someone to unleash his anger onto. Robotnik could no longer fire his cannon, and he was out of rockets, but with a Chaos Emerald in his possession, the man would not doubt his power.

The claw shot at Sonic's silhouette. He felt metal plunge into flesh. "Hah!" the madman exclaimed, readying the saw.

But the figure he had captured was not Sonic. As the grapple returned to its master, Robotnik could see it was Knuckles' body. Furious, he put maximum pressure on the corpse, squeezing through skin and flesh, until but a few bones would resist him. Tired of the dead bothering him, Eggman drained some of the emerald's energy into his clawed arm. A glowing orb formed on his fist, which engulfed Knuckles in flame, leaving a mere pile of ash.

Voices were still heard. There! "Now I've got you," Robotnik hissed, seeing Sonic hidden behind rubble.

Delicious fear reflected in Sonic's eyes the moment he was spotted. Yet it was not enough for him to lose composure. He evaded a straight blue laser beam fired at him. Though, dulled reflexes and numbing face did not allow Sonic to dodge the hand of metal that followed.

"Hurry, bro!" he shouted to no one in particular.

Eggman cocked his head to the side. "Hmm?"

He noticed a communicator hanging from Sonic's ear. That wasn't there before unless…he took it off the cadaver while using Knuckles as a decoy.

Shaking his head, Eggman noted: "Utilitarianism, Sonic, doesn't pay." The saw spun round once Robotnik pulled it closer, cutting the earpiece in half as well as slicing into Sonic's fur. "Silence."

The smell of crimson excited the villain, and to Sonic's misfortune, it was his functional ear. He resisted the pain, the hero wouldn't cry out for the madman. It was all Eggman counted for – to see _him_ admit agony. The blood-thirsty freak would not be given the pleasure playing with his victim.

Every decision was cancelled as soon as the fierce blade cut into his scalp. Nobody else could hear him scream. When blood filled his ear, neither could Sonic. Nearly half of his face was numb already, and Eggman only wanted more.

"I said, silence!"

With the blade still spinning, he smacked it into Sonic's cheek, releasing the hedgehog to skid on the muddy floor.

Sonic couldn't feel the impact. The only proof it occurred was the discomfort in his jaw. Blinking was difficult. Colours began blurring in his vision even though most of the lights were destroyed in the lab. He wanted to reach out, breathe…do _something_! But his body refused to allow him. Sonic's legs trembled in convulsions, and something in his throat prevented another sound from coming out. Only a lonely tear could escape. It smeared his smudged muzzle, leaving matted fur. This was the only thing he could feel. Everything else abandoned the hero…except his executioner.

"You've failed to obey for the last time, hedgehog!" the man's voice echoed in the nearly silent laboratory.

Hearing disabled, sight leaving him, he could only smile by half. The monster he battled every day of his life has reached its final stage of evolution. The letters S.O. were coming closer. Eggman had become one with the science dragon. Sonic doubted he'd ever know the price the maniac paid for it…right now he didn't care. All he wanted was to sigh.

Movement stopped. Eggman was in position.

"This is your last chance, rat. **Die**!"

Foam turned his laughter into a gurgle preceding the blow. A familiar flash. Night engulfed the desolate room. It would be done now.

A very high-pitched sound then boomed through the whole structure, resonating even in Sonic's ear. The sensation was not a pleasant one, but it was far from what Eggman felt.

Signature Omega glowed the same way the beam would have. Now, though, Eggman's facial expression was not of mad gratification, but horror. The power he accumulated to drain Sonic's life force turned on him. His evil machine shook and fizzled, sparks flying, electrocutions jumping on the robot's surface. Then its limbs lost power, succumbing to gravity. Was it a miracle?

The robot couldn't topple fully to the ground for a moment, being held up by a mysterious force. Looking closer, one could see a yellowish aura surrounding the bot. Tails had finally found the force field controls and locked Eggman inside to sink in the power vacuum.

Once the distortion disappeared, the machine fell down on its side. The Chaos Emerald bounced off from impact and rolled in Sonic's direction.

At one point, he was ready to admit defeat and join Eggman, who was obviously suffering more than ever before. Fate decided otherwise, and _he_ would not question it, unlike the science dragon had. Feeling the gem's power calling him, the hedgehog dragged himself to the source, until that shiny azure object appeared in his grasp.

He could finally take a breath of air. Colour returned to his face and hand. Sonic could now smile properly again. Swiftly, the hedge jumped on his feet, healing as he walked towards the fallen doctor.

It was now Sonic's turn to grin victoriously. Eggman couldn't move, his face pale like paper, so the hero brought the emerald closer to him. Some colour returned to the man's cheeks, the one human eye blinking rapidly.

However, before he could stab a one-liner at the defeated foe, the man grinned.

"Thank you…**fool**!"

A panel moved from Signature Omega's abdomen, unveiling a radiation sign with a twenty-second countdown. Eggman laughed at an absurdly baffled Sonic.

It was a nuke.


	6. Blink

"I told you, Sonic. I have _all_ the aces," the sick freak grinned.

This isn't happening! Eggman is going to blow himself up with the city and those fighting for freedom! Sonic had mere seconds to save everyone, including himself.

"Would you stay to watch the fireworks?"

With that said, Signature Omega grabbed Sonic's arm and pulled him closer. "I insist."

Struggling to break free, the hedgehog watched Eggman laugh loudly. Every time he would pull to get out, the grip would tighten. Sonic hissed in discontent. He wouldn't let the vile murderer get away with it. Robotnik would not take countless lives of innocents. Tails, Amy, G.U.N. – everyone joined forces for this final assault on Eggman's headquarters. No! This would not be the price.

Thirteen seconds left. Disgusted by the insane doctor's satisfaction, Sonic thrust his free hand straight at the man's face in a mean punch. It felt so incredibly rewarding to feel the soft tissue ram into that clenched fist. Eggman's silent whine made the sensation even sweeter. The hero pummelled his depowered opponent until he could no longer laugh. Tears spilled from Sonic's eyes as he felt it wasn't just his spite. His whole body required release. Hatred that man accumulated in Sonic all these years, that delicious urge to destroy and win. What delight Sonic felt while brutalising the fallen enemy. For a moment, his senses seemed to vanish. The only things Sonic felt was the painful grip on his arm and a continuous dull response from Eggman.

The man was crying. But not for mercy. Robotnik stared at him during every hit, and a snide curve just wouldn't disappear from his lips. With one powerful kick, Sonic thought he would bring an end to Eggman's cocky attitude. The claw let go.

His remaining eye turned blue. A large dent in his nose showed it was broken. The old man's skin was cracking in bloody streaks, and yet, even after the kick, he could still manage to glare back.

"Foolish animal… Despite all, _you_ never learn. You cannot destroy Robotnik…as Robotnik will destroy you," the man said in a lisped whisper, making Sonic cringe.

So that was it! T-that thing was just waiting for him to lose it. What had he done!? Blinded with anger and regret, Sonic completely forgot everything he stood for. Instead, he wasted time on massacring a sad old invalid. And he had no more to waste.

Eight seconds.

Jaw trembling, he stared at the floor. The hero has done to Robotnik just like the insane, twisted, vile, evil man would have done to him. So small was the difference between light and dark at that point. However, the hedgehog would not be conquered in spite. Collecting his thoughts, Blue Blur faced his nemesis again.

"You wanted to die on your terms, Eggbutt. Fine. But you won't take more than life gave you," Sonic said grimly. An apology was evident in his tone, flattening the smile on Eggman's face.

Sonic approached him, the emerald in hand. Evil would not win… "Chaos Control!"

Chaotic bright light made Eggman grumble irritably. His master plan would not be foiled. Not so easily…the plan was flawless! Robotnik's plans were always flawless.

The duo teleported to a desert. Cold winds stroked the barren land. It was dark, the moon being the only source of light. This would remain in equilibrium for the next four seconds.

Sonic looked at the malfunctioned robot pitifully whilst the timer ticked down. "_We_ die alone. Others don't."

His moody expression faded once the hedgehog turned from the doctor. Gazing up at the moon, not wanting to see the man's agony anymore, Sonic sighed.

Two seconds left.

"Chaos Control!"

Eggman smiled. The instance a portal opened to take Sonic to safety, the machine extended its metal claw, grabbing the jewel. His enemy hadn't even noticed theft before disappearing.

"Never leave without saying goodbye."

And then the timer hit zero. Though, the heavily anticipated cataclysmic explosion had never occurred. Robotnik had successfully inserted the Chaos Emerald back in his socket and took a deep breath. Power returned to his body. Cells multiplied and grew to heal his wounds. Pain ceased to exist. Signature Omega stood up, taking balance on the cool sands.

Laughter disturbed the nightly peace.

* * *

"You did it!" Amy cheered, jumping at Sonic happily.

Her squeeze was almost too much, as the hedgehog still felt a tad mangled after the long battle. Sonic gave the pink female a thumbs up and smiled. Not for long, since Amy decided to snog her idol.

"My hero! I love you! I love you, I-love-you!" she squeaked endlessly.

Despite being charmed by her loving touch and fragrance, her care wasn't what he really needed. A worried look on Tails' face troubled him greatly. Quickly, albeit gently, Sonic unglued the rabid lover to meet a certain twin-tailed fox.

The foxboy gazed up in the afternoon sky. His muzzle looked several shades paler than usual. Speechless, he pointed up at the sun.

What caught his attention was a tiny black dot in the middle of the shiny obelisk. Time passing by, the dark speck grew and grew, soon engulfing more than half of the yellowish circle.

Tails ran to his computer, hidden next to the Tornado plane. Sonic followed. Walking up slowly to his nervous sweaty friend, he would see the fox's fingertips type something up at a heated pace. The computer beeped a few times before showing a larger picture of the black particle. Sonic's friend turned the screen towards him, letting his eyes do the talking.

It was Eggman's space fortress, the Death Egg.

"I'm going," Sonic whispered. Grasping what should have been a Chaos Emerald, the hero noticed he had been holding a sand stone the entire time. "He's still alive." The rock crumbled in his fist at those words, seeping out between his fingers.

Looking timidly at Sonic's moody expression, the fox stuttered to speak. "I have another emerald onboard the Tornado…" he smiled weakly, looking at Sonic's shoes.

The hedge flashed a grin at him and winked cockily. "Thanks, Tails… You've saved us all."

Before the cerulean male could speed off, though, Tails tugged on his glove to ask for attention. "S-Sonic? I…heard what happened to them," the foxboy murmured, and gave him an earpiece along with a few rings. "Take these. I would only be a burden."

His friend's crippling look weighed down on Sonic's shoulders. The hero would not give in. A farewell had to be cheerful...not camped with sulking. He lifted the buddy's chin, trying to look mischievous as their eyes met. Tails made a blatant attempt at escaping Sonic's exciting brotherly gaze.

"Just smile, Tails. I'll be back in a blink!"

Flushed with embarrassment, he wanted to ask for a hug, but couldn't find an excuse. "O-okay! I'll get some schematics to-"

And the moment Miles "Tails" Prower turned to show his understanding comrade the details, the said comrade decided to make leave.

"Chaos Control!"

"-guide you," the fox finished, a finger raised to care for nobody in particular.

He blinked confusedly.


	7. FUBAR

Chaos Control brought him onboard the Death Egg. Cold metal, dimmed lights – not much of a change since last time. Sterile walls surrounded the heroic hedgehog and only a random logo or idle screen interrupted the orderly continuum. Even the smell was the same. The air Eggman used was poorly filtered and could easily suffocate someone unprepared. Thankfully, the emerald offered enough protection until his lungs would become accustomed to the sharp stench.

The emptiness of space was evident. The sensation of being alone in that forsaken place crept up his spine. Sonic sighed. No, not because if felt generally disturbing to pursue a maniac he considered dead into a base he supposedly destroyed. It wasn't even longing for real fresh air or green, something the hedge wouldn't have found with a microscope in the perilous structure. The maniac had changed and went further into malevolence. His overbearing insanity was enough to catch Sonic off guard. And this once...the hero couldn't guess what was out to happen.

Thinking about Eggman's words, he allowed images to swirl into his head. Who _was_ right in this war? Eggman, trying to void everyone of their freedom? No. Sonic, whose passion for revenge outgrew control? Doesn't look this way. Maybe G.U.N.? Just a bull in a china shop.

Another sigh disturbed the mechanic silence. His eyes fixated on a single window set on the near end of the corridor. Earth. It looked beautiful from space. Peaceful and blue, like the hero. Its turmoil was always hidden from view. He smiled nostalgically. Sonic had forgotten about the Death Egg being a threat since Eggman founded a permanent HQ on the ground. The madman probably did some multi-tasking between failures. And now the space station was approaching his planet.

Lights flickered, setting Sonic's attention on the goal. Robotnik decided on further action. A monitor screeched nearby, static replacing the idle red logo on a black background. Then, a sign appeared: "Standby!"

Sonic paced closer to the screen, perking a brow at the odd exclamation. A fanfare sounded, and Eggman's chubby mustachio face came into view.

His grimace magnified. Hadn't that lunatic screwed a few loose bolts into his head and became a robot? Instead of the metallic monstrosity Sonic encountered earlier, this man he saw seemed refreshed, untouched by battle. That smile he wore in a charmingly devilish way added colour to his cheeks, making the doctor look almost…likeable. Cameras zoomed in for a close-up, making a cinematic run from different angles, allowing _ignorant fools_ to recognise true genius in his physique. Sonic chuckled at how pompastic (for lack of a better word) the fat dope looked. In fact, the hedgehog cried: "Poser!" between laughs.

Then, the view stilled on Eggman's face. His grin faded, giving room for a serious well-prepared scowl. The scientist didn't want to appear too playful to the audience.

"I am Doctor Robotnik, the supreme intelligence of planet Earth. For years I have been putting up with your incredible inferiority," the madman began, flames flashing in his eyes. Were they computer-animated, or an actual inferno, Sonic couldn't tell. Eggman's voice became grim: "But no more! I have set my space station on a direct collision course with the planet to make room for a _real_ sentient species," he commented, showing a slideshow of the Death Egg approaching the globe's orbit.

Finally, the slides were replaced with live footage of the enormous metal goliath. The sphere with Eggman's face for an averse crept towards the world. Concaves used to resemble the scientist's eyes glowed with crimson light before releasing a barrage of laser projectiles. What was their purpose, Sonic didn't know.

A smirk returned to the speaker's lips. "Do not panic! You will all **die**!"

Sheesh! Old Doc' really lost his marbles. No demands or countdowns?

Sonic bit his brain for the thought when a timer popped up on the screen's corner. Now it looked like something Eggman would normally do. Only a habit would give the hero confidence after such unusual events.

The hedgehog tried not to think about what happened before. Eyes closed, he attempted to blur the disturbing images away. Blood, hopelessness, their fear, his anger and lust for revenge. Shaking his head didn't work out, but he just had to concentrate. Tears would not help! They never did.... Sonic believed so with passion. If he wasn't strong, nobody else would be.

However, during the mental cleansing, a huffing registered from behind. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Sonic's short neck. White gloves, oily odour…could it be? Looking at the reflection in a mostly dark screen, the hedge saw that his suspicions were right. The one strangling him was Eggman!

"I'll crush you, little hedgehog!" the man hissed, gritting teeth while squeezing as hard as he could.

This was mad! Or, as Tails would have said: "Ludicrous!"

Sonic quickly spun out of the doctor's hold and took battle stance. Yup, it really was Eggman, now reaching into his pocket to pull out a weapon. Robotnik's insanity challenged only his cluelessness. Before those thick fingers could even reach a pocket, he was quickly spun into disorientation and chucked towards the nearest wall.

Sonic approached him, shaking his head in a mocking fashion. "You saved me a trip to get you, Egghead. Getting stupid with age, huh?"

"Laugh, Sonic. Enjoy your last sights of genius!"

Eggman got up and made a pathetic attempt at throwing a punch. The doctor missed, unable to notice his foe, who was already standing elsewhere. Screaming some unintelligible phrases, the villain then rushed at Sonic with his hands up in the air, indicating fury. Sonic hadn't counted on that. He spent almost two seconds baffled, not knowing what to do. What was the doctor trying to achieve? Though, until the man could approach him, Sonic rolled into a ball to press the enemy back as he did by default.

Now the egg-shaped ragdoll was chucked at the window. Lying on his head, Eggman cried some more gibberish, but no matter how much he shovelled to stand up, the heavy body remained on the floor. Sonic cracked his knuckles, approaching the man in a victorious pose.

"First I'll beat you to a pulp. Next I'll let you tell me where you hid the self-destruct button. And then you're going overboard!" Sonic laughed, explaining the whole plan he considered almost too good.

"Correct. Your last part," the man mumbled, uncovering a hand grenade.

The greenish sphere beeped and ticked, making its purpose more then obvious. Beeps became a long siren, predicting the inevitable. What a cowardly dipwad! He was really going to blow himself up.

Forgetting all about the pleasures of mauling, Sonic set his sights on go. Being cast into space vacuum did not appeal to him at all, nor did the fact that he had to escape from Eggman threatening him with a simple grenade.

Bang, squelch, huff. A thick door was in Sonic's way, and ramming it appeared to be a waste of time. Not one ungrateful dent!

"Get out of my home!"

The explosive went off. It burst into a clouded flame that extinguished itself as soon as the shockwave crashed the fragile illuminator. Eggman was no longer in sight, his remnants already boiling in vacuum.

One glimpse behind was all it took to frighten the hedgehog: loose objects and metal pieces flying into outer space. In all the commotion, Sonic's grip of the emerald weakened. He could feel it slipping out, but did nothing, every drop of strength used by his feet to remain inside. This was a mistake he regretted dearly later on.

Hopelessly battering the door, he remembered the one person that could still save him. Tails always could track his communicators, and was probably working on Sonic's situation. The hedgehog couldn't wait for Miles to show initiative. Heroics and patience walked separately.

Efforts were now necessary just to remain in place. An invisible vortex tugged his body to slide back, and its power only grew exponentially. He tried to scratch the floor that got very slippery with his nails, but this offered little compensation. Artificial gravity began malfunctioning, and the moment he'd lose touch with the floor, nothing would save him from decompression.

"FUBAR, Tails! Door!" he shouted in desperation.

There was a pause. Sonic could have sworn it took him ten minutes to respond. "Just a second…"

His feet began slipping backwards with every next step. Breathing was out of the question already. Gasping for air, Sonic managed to shoot one last scream at the twin-tailed genius.

"No second! Now!"

"Ah!" a distorted exclamation came back.

The door pulled up, allowing the hedge to do a triangle jump far enough to reach the next compound. His exit slammed shut afterwards, sealing the airless corridor away from the rest. Sonic huffed, sitting on the floor, staring at it, happy to be supported. That was one extreme treadmill! He'd have to be more careful not to knock too many holes in the Death Egg before blowing it into smithereens.

"Sonic, can you hear me now?" Tails murmured.

"Yeah, but speak louder!"

Sonic didn't want to dart off onward without mapping his steps first. Eggman's fortress had proven itself a menacing maze during every previous visit. Miles asked for some more time to decode the heavy encryption on outer layer plans. Some rough schematics revealed the base really resembled an egg, and the hedge had just broken through its shell. It was now either a long trot to the centre, or…the clever person that Sonic always considered himself could try another method.

"Chaos C-!" his voice died when he looked down at his hands.

And heck knew what evil Eggman put in his path towards the centre.

Meanwhile, outside, the missing emerald was gracefully spinning back towards the Death Egg. An invisible force guided it straight into a robotic claw. The station's shadow shrouded the captor, and only etched letters "S.O." could be seen.

Time to revisit my city.


	8. Don't

The damn thing must have popped out during decompression. He guessed it was the good old smash and bash business from now on. If not for the Death Egg heading for the planet, it would have been a pretty enjoyable ride. A bit of pressure never hurt nobody, huh?

Lights flickered without a warning. His ears perked up, alert as ever: distortions never were a good thing, but this one would end soon, probably just a glitch. Eggman was dead and there wasn't anyone to play around with power…

They went off completely. Sonic gulped, looking around for any source to give him direction. Not a tiniest spark…the nocturnal animal's sight was useless. Some fans on the ceiling created comforting noise. Even if he was locked in a seemingly endless corridor in pitch-black darkness, the turbulent machines would still provide oxygen.

"Tails? I'm in a hallway…" he said in a whisper.

"No."

"No lighting, I know."

"You're not in a hallway."

Sonic laughed into his earpiece, "I'm not blind: I know where I am." He then took out a golden ring to let its natural glow provide a pathfinder. What he saw proved Tails correct, as always. "Oh…"

Instead of aesthetic metal walls, someone's toothy smirk flashed right at him. Sonic hid the ring immediately and moved away from the finding. After a few steps, his back bumped into something cold, hard and very sharp. Heaving breaths sounded from behind.

He turned, wondering whether it's worth to take the ring out. Maybe the teeth, or whatever he saw, were blind in the dark, too? Sonic stopped in his tracks. What if the chompers had heat vision? An uneasy feeling descended upon the lost hedgehog. He was all alone in a dark room, and something lurked in perfect night…something with teeth. No reason to worry; it's not the first time he's lost in uncharted grounds. Oxygen was still pumped into the room, and he'd soon defeat whatever foe decided to bare canines at him.

Closing his eyes, he tried to listen, instead of stressing over useless details. When his ears twitched the first time, he heard a soft step. More steps followed, quicker, lighter. Then, something whooshed nearby. Despite Sonic's courageous nature, chills spilled down his spine, spreading to the sides and shoulders creeping all the way to his tail. The noise he called stepping soon moved right next to him. It started swirling. Slowly at first, then the speed increased, as if someone sprinted around the spot. Now he had to face a tough decision: move, dash, or stand still?

"Ow!" and he ran.

A sudden dose of pain helped him decide. It was a needle-like prickling sensation, which made him recall all those horrid flu shots. He shuddered, but not before having hit a barrier. Hand extended to touch: smooth surface, cool and even. Shaking his head, the hero deducted it was just a wall. What a relief…

Reflections soon changed, as invisible sounds pursued the hedgehog. This time, they were accompanied by giggles. Sweet innocent sounds of childish joy ran towards him. And he wished to the heavens below that they were draconic roars, anything to get a clue!

Would he dare to take the ring out again? He hesitated until the vibrant female giggle appeared to stand right next to him. Her breath smelled sweet like candy. Sonic deducted it wouldn't hurt to shed some light by now. But, before he could have a chance to reach out for the round object, a needle was inserted into his hand from the top, effectively piercing through his glove and palm.

Wide-eyed with shock, Sonic delayed a yelp from the sudden attack, and attempted to move away until another wall obstructed further movement. The hedgehog was confused beyond imagination. Shudders returned, increasing the bafflement, as the giggling stopped, gradually crossing into whine territory. Now he wished he had never asked for the noise to change.

Someone, whatever guy or gal it was, was seriously messing with his head. Mr. Hedgehog would not be messed by anybody! Heroes like him were always busy saving the world!

And that was enough to let him face his fears. The ring appeared back in his palm, offering slight consolation for his gloved hand while blood trickled underneath the fabric. He'd have to ignore the uncomfortably long physical wail. Sonic spun around, letting the light cover every corner of what used to be a hallway.

Strangely enough, it had grown into a large room. There was a part he had not seen before. It was different than the rest, covered in fluffy material, and there seemed to be a few household objects: cups, forks, a chair. Even a few toys lay on the floor. Resisting another wave of gooseflesh, he was intent on finding the source of breathing...and laughter.

His side ached as if something dull bopped into it when the hedgehog approached the newly-discovered area. Sonic gave that no importance and shifted forward more. The sensation repeated itself in his stomach, then knees, ankles. It changed his mind to take a better direction. As pain bubbled and mounted under his skin, "direction" became a wishful term.

One way left, my friend, he thought. Unable to hold the ring, or himself, Sonic fell on the floor. He shook violently, pain battering him everywhere. It felt like hammers were hitting his joints and internal organs. Everything just sounded so bad all of a sudden, he wished to go home and die. Sonic wanted to throw up, but as soon as his mouth opened, a shaky gasp escaped. The hero curled into a ball on instinct, barely, the shape being more elliptical. Cold sweat covered his muzzle and a tough headache rang in his head. A disoriented roll sent him away a few metres.

It helped. Nausea diminished and the invisible beatings ceased. Huffing for air, he looked for the ring, still glowing by the chair, a pretty long distance…that way. He needed to redeem it before it disappeared nonetheless. The action, however, proved itself unnecessary.

"Sonic…" Tails' voice came from the earpiece. "There is a light switch near you."

The hedgehog's spirits shot up higher than Eggman's missiles at the familiar voice. "My buddy!" He groped the wall for handles or buttons heatedly – any shape sticking out of the metal. "Found it!"

His hand went down for a happy click, so incredibly eager to have normality return, already anticipating sweet-sweet daylight!

It had to stop in mid-air.

"Don't push it!" Tails shouted into his microphone.

Awkward. Sonic didn't do anything to upset the vulpine. "Huh? Why?"

The fox coughed, apparently regaining composure. "Whatever you do…_don't_ turn the lights on."

"Tails?" Sonic asked.

The steps had returned.

"I'm decoding the door. It should lead you to Eggman's cargo area."

His orangey friend ignored the question. Slight chuckling reached Sonic's ears again, making him jump up and walk away from the spot. Backtracking, Sonic fell over a chair, the very one. Sadly, no more ring.

"Am I going insane?" Sonic asked all of a sudden. He tried looking around, swinging fists in random directions, walking on his toes – anything to prevent the agony he felt earlier.

"No…I'm afraid."

"So," he gulped, "there's someone else in the room with me?"

"Yes!"

Whatever was going on with his friend, Sonic didn't like it. Those uncomfortable outbursts were just not like him. The hedgehog found himself more worried about Miles back on safe terrain than his own situation. Maybe he really did say something to upset the boy? He had to find out, at least because only the two-tailed genius could be of help.

"Tails?" Sonic asked, having hushed his voice to a collected tone. "Is-is everything all right with you?"

He waited almost thirty seconds to receive an answer. Sonic would get a reply! Tails was too dear for him, even if this was just childish jealousy. The fox just remained silent, as stubborn as his idol. That is, until the lights came back on, quickly chasing darkness out of the hermetically sealed room.

"I told you not to turn them on!!!"

The hero was about to protest, since it wasn't his fault. He couldn't, though: Tails turned off his communicator, making the lonely feeling return. Sonic wanted to say he was sorry, but his friend wouldn't let him do that much. No time for reflections, stranded hero! It was about time he found out the source of his torment and taught them a good lesson. The _source_ thought otherwise.

"Mr. Sonic?" a weak high-pitched greeting reached him.

He turned to face the opponent.

"Cream?"


	9. Friend

She came in tears. No, it wasn't his fault. Cream's friends had abandoned the little rabbit yet again, increasing pressure on her fragile heart. The tiny creature wanted to prove that she could be a part of their team. She didn't want to be an equal; that was too much to ask. Cream only wanted acceptance. That child couldn't stand rejection time and time again.

"It's too dangerous for you."

"Leave that to the real heroes"

"Wait where it's safe. We'll be right back!"

Even when woe had cast shadows over their eyes, the faces kept smiling at her. The young female knew they weren't telling the truth. Pupils never lie. People do. During battle, she'd hug Cheese in hope everything would end well and her hope would be credited with another victory. Her trusty Chao would always try to cheer her up, even when they weren't right back for three hours. Someone would eventually remember the girl still sitting in the mud, waiting faithfully, as every good bunny should.

It made her sigh. Her eyes had stopped drifting to the skies, where Tails' mighty machines would spar with hordes of robots. The female could no longer keep her friends in view on the ground. Tears just blotched everything in sight while they fought with courage and dignity…everything she could never have, but secretly dreamed of. By the time a battle was over, she'd somehow manage to pull the bits back inside and not think about being a pushover.

Time and time again she'd tie herself together, gluing parts into a whole. Cream had to be nice and happy! Good girls always are, and she had to be _very_ good to talk to Tails or Mr. Sonic. But…while little Cream stayed on the ground, the true heroes excelled and became much better. They started taking her kindness for granted. She tried to be gentler, even more blissful.

Yes, she tried. Her tiny rabbit heart just wasn't big enough to suit their needs. She had begged it to stop crying and beat evenly, like a good girl's heart should, but it just wouldn't listen. No, the bad old heart kept singing its own sad song. Cream's friends should never hear the melody!

"I'm scared, mama," she uttered one night.

Mommy dearest said a lot of sweet things to tickle her heart into a giggle fit. Cream forgot most of them in less than five minutes, feeling safe in her mother's arms. Though, that small rabbit didn't take a word for granted.

"Fear has big eyes."

Cheese had large eyes, too! She laughed at the thought: her scare actually being Cheese's big sister. The rabbit yawned afterwards, letting mommy take her to bed. Sleep, however, was not what she had in mind that evening. As soon as lights died out at home, Cream slipped out of bed to dress up.

Tonight, she would face her fear!

It is why he found the rabbit sulking on his doorstep. A few scratch marks on the citadel's armoured door showed Cream wanted to break in. That insolent child came all the way to Robotropolis alone. Even whatsisname Chao didn't accompany her. Eggman had never found himself in such a disturbing situation before. Looking down at the squirming creature by his headquarters, the scientist coughed to get her attention.

"I'm sad, sir," she peeped out between sobs.

The obvious statement left him even more speechless. She tingled Eggman's abnormal curiosity. The tall man kneeled down to speak at a more appropriate level. Taking off the round glasses, he took a handkerchief to clean them, and get a better look of the awkward visitor. Robotnik's action seemed to have gotten her to settle down a bit.

"Your eyes…" the rabbit began. He felt it fitting to remain silent; a single word could blow her away now. "They're so small!" she exclaimed, unrolling to stare at them up close.

Baffled more than he believed possible, Eggman found himself at the mercy of a child's mysterious logic. She would be understood! Nothing in this world was too difficult for the greatest mind to comprehend!

The man motioned for her to enter his abode. Cream hesitated initially. A stranger was inviting her in, and mommy dearest always warned her about strangers. Though, could Eggman really count as a stranger? The silly red-nosed man was as familiar as Sonic and the others…only differently.

"I wouldn't want to be a burden, sir…"

Robotnik stood up and moved aside to give her a clear view of what awaited indoors. The cold boring darkness of the night contrasted greatly with the fuzzy man's large house. It was reasonable enough to affect her decision; she walked in.

Sonic's enemy was sure friendly. He offered the rabbit some crumpets and even found a few plush toys for her to play with. Aww, she didn't deserve such treatment, but when Eggman insisted nobody else would play with them, the rabbit decided to keep the toys company.

During conversation, she found out the doctor was a _very_ busy genius. His inventions would eventually save the world from single-digit IQs, whatever that meant. Sadly, Eggman was constantly interrupted by those _infernal_ (another word she didn't know) hedgehogs. From the rest of the man's words, Cream understood he was a very lonely senior citizen without any friends.

She couldn't understand why. Cream knocked on his door with her head at night, but the old man still accepted her…Tails would have just sent her home and told dear mommy what happened. Her mother shouldn't be upset over Cream's midnight walk. And she wouldn't, because Eggman promised not to tell! In fact, because the rabbit was so well-behaved, she could keep the toys, but first the little girl would have to help him conduct a fun experiment.

Cream loved fun!

The female skipped over a long hallway, holding the doctor's hand. Eggman was having a hard time keeping up with her at first, so Cream slowed down to be blissful together! Their walk ended in the roundest room she ever did see. Even the only two doors were rounded into the smooth shiny walls. The area was a lovely white colour that glowed in the dark. It assured her that the old man meant no harm. Once they reached the middle of the room, Cream was politely asked to stand in a circle that marked the lowest point in the floor. The rabbit was given specific instructions not to walk out of the circle until Eggman allowed her or the doctor would be very sad.

Cream had to _surrender_ the stuffed giraffe she held for the science to unleash its power upon the world. The man sure had a way with long sentences! Willingly, the young female handed over the plushie and stood very still in the circle.

Eggman grinned as he left to the control room behind another curved reinforced door. Only the test subject had to be in the sealed room. Having reached his dashboard, the doctor turned on the intercom to announce the test's beginning.

"You have many fears, Cream," he said grimly. "But that's okay! I'm going to help you!"

It made her smile. "Thank you, doctor… I knew you'd be my friend."

"No."

Something crackled under the floor. Fizzing came from the ceiling. A blue streak swerved around the walls. Cream looked at the special effects in awe. Different colours began flashing around her, as if someone threw invisible fireworks into the air. Lightning sparks dashed from wall to wall, bouncing and playing with each other. She clapped excitedly in this one girl theme park. Cream always loved fairs, and this one was better than anything she'd ever seen!

Her eyes widened in wonder as a lightning bolt jumped straight into her arms. It felt fuzzy and warm like a kitten. The female connected her fingertips, squeezing the light, and it jumped off, connecting her palms to the floor with an electric arc. Had it not tickled so much, she'd have found it scary. More energy bolts pounced at her, and soon she was connected to the spherical room's outer layers from every direction. The rabbit stood still, trying not to scare away the happy lights that seemed to be whispering something.

Even the greenish air smelled like cotton candy. She pulled out her tongue to taste it, attracting another spark. Those vibrant creatures just got a bit too clingy. Now she was starting to feel uncomfortable. She looked at the intercom above her head, making the arc jump to her nose, and tried to speak, but no sound escaped her lips.

Cream attempted to blink, and yet her eyelids froze solid, two lightning beams digging straight into her irises. Her muscles turned loose, breathing stopped and the only thing the female could feel was weightlessness. Indeed, from how the perspective changed, she must have floated a few metres up, held in place by the electricity.

The whispering turned louder. Something kept telling her to relax, the room promised it would be over soon, and the doctor would give her chocolate for behaving so well. Cream wanted to say something to the voice, but her head felt like spinning. Surroundings flashed faster…and faster still. The rabbit became dizzy from all the commotion until tiredness overcame and put the girl to sleep.

Not even Eggman's laughter resonating in the room could wake her up.


	10. Hug

"Mr. Sonic, I knew you'd come!" Cream the Rabbit exclaimed as she darted towards the hero.

Sonic tried to smile at the odd reunion. That innocent girl was not what he had expected to see onboard the Death Egg. The hero parted his arms to embrace the giddy creature, but as soon as she was three metres away, Tails pushed his mood down a few levels.

"Run!" the fox shouted from Sonic's communicator.

Blue Blur perked a brow at the sudden outburst from his nervous friend. Normally, he'd just ignore the exclamation, as Tails was always prone to overreacting in the presence of danger. This time, a gut feeling told the hedgehog that he should listen. Stressed or not, very weird things did occur to Sonic.

Seeing her friend move away, she stopped. Cream tried her best to hide a lump forming in her throat. "You don't want a hug from me, Mr. Sonic?"

"No, it's just…"

The rest wasn't necessary. Cream had already slumped to the floor, battered by harsh words, fountaining tears in every possible direction. She couldn't believe it…she waited for him to come, hoping to give him a happy hug and that…bad hedgehog rejected her. Cream had never meant any harm to anyone, so why would he? It was just so difficult to understand it made her sadder.

"Tails?" Sonic whispered. The hedgehog got a mental sensation his gut feeling was mere hunger, and that the fox was suffering from paranoia.

"Give me a minute. The exit will open soon."

"But what about Cream?"

"Forget her."

Now that was worth a kick in the head. It sounded mean even for Sonic, whose emotional intelligence has never been regarded as high. He wished to the heavens below that Cream didn't hear the twin-tailed boy. Maybe Tails was the real problem here? His guide's attitude started getting on Sonic's nerves. The fact that he was also clueless on how to handle a crying girl didn't help. Yes, Amy cried often, but it was always something so complicated and subtle, Sonic couldn't point out what he had done wrong in the first place. In Cream's case, it had to be easier. She'd only want a hug, not make out.

While approaching the female, he had to ignore Tails' tone, quivering more with every next step. At times, it sounded as if the boy had been crying for hours, but he deserved that if the fox wanted to be heartless.

"Sonic! Stop!" the fox begged, sensing the hedgehog was too _irrational_ to listen.

He wouldn't listen.

"Don't come any closer!"

"We'll all be sorry!"

Tails got the silent treatment, and decided to behave accordingly. Sonic could be stubborn all he wanted, but ignorance wouldn't pay off. There was a click. Exclamations ebbed: the juvenile genius turned off the communications uplink.

Sonic secretly thanked him for doing this. More words would have discredited his friend and interrupted the caring plastic smile on the hedgehog's face. He sat down near the weeping rabbit and patted her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Cream. It's okay now," he said soothingly.

The rabbit turned to face him, tears still streaming from her eyes. Every drop of courage was necessary for the azure hero to remain peaceful-looking. One more whimper would have made him crumble in an apologetic fit. Not this time around, as Cream leaped at him in a tight squeeze. Feeling silly, Sonic tried to hug back while she dried the tears off on his fur. They were connected this way for a few good moments until the rabbit felt more confident. The hedgehog sighed, hoping it was over now.

She looked up into his eyes, as staggering as the mournful glare was. "T-thank you, sir. Will you take me to mama now?"

Without any second thoughts, Sonic made off with a ready reply: "No, I must…" he began, but shut his mouth immediately: her fur shivered at rejection while the girl's head swooped back down to stare at the floor. Sonic had to fix this fast! "I… What the?!"

He had to dash away from a sudden heat wave. Something was not right with the situation. Looking down, the hedgehog became horrified: blood, everywhere that girl had touched! Fur was still in tact, but warm red seeped from it. Sonic's skin was covered in boils and ulcers where Cream's tears had flowed, making him gasp at every revelation. The hero looked at his hands in shock, red stains everywhere. How was it even possible?!

"Woo-hoo. Heh, heh…heh," _the_ laughter rang in Sonic's eardrums.

"Eggman!"

A monitor slid down from the ceiling. The image of Robotnik's facial hair covered most of the screen. That maniac was grinning from ear to ear. He had been watching the entire time and, finally, decided to make a smashing entrance. The look on Sonic's face compensated suspense for the villain. Eggman could see emotions boiling in the hedgehog's viscera: anger blazed in his pupils, hatred squeezed palms into fists, and fear trembled on the hero's muscles. Nothing, however, could outperform the vision of his scarlet, oozing down while coagulating.

"You shouldn't have bothered, Eggbun. I'll tear that moustache off your head with the rest of your face for what you did to Cream!"

Robotnik stroked his cheeks cockily at those remarks, "For what _I_ did to her? A nuisance like you should worry about other things…such as death that wouldn't soil my clean floor."

That fat moron would never shut up!

Sonic felt a lot better after spindashing through the screen. It worked better than an "off" button. And it was much more rewarding to watch the screen fly down and explode. However, Sonic's satisfaction was short-lived.

"The good doctor cured my fears, Mr. Sonic," said Cream, who has managed to creep up from behind. "I'm not afraid of losing you."

With that, the smiling rabbit reached out to poke his side. Sonic jumped away, still baffled about his new opponent. What, how? Couldn't it have been Shadow or some other guy? Maybe he's just delusional? No…Cream didn't really touch him that time, but it still felt as if a blade sliced through his skin. Seeing the wound only increased that uncomfortable sensation. He could have sworn that watching the fresh scar made liquids leak out faster.

He gripped a golden ring he had left, hoping to ease down the bleeding with its power. Unfortunately, its weak energy field could not be as helpful as wanted. The rabbit had managed to corner him by merely hopping on one foot in his direction. Sonic's disoriented backtracking was an obvious error.

She looked happy, like always, only in all the wrong ways now. Suddenly, the jumping bunny stopped and just stared at him attentively.

"Hey, Mr. Sonic, watch this!"

An instinct forced him to get down, covering his head with both hands. The male shuddered at the revelation. Electricity enveloped Cream for a moment, making her features fuzz up and glow. The unimaginable occurred afterwards: hairs grew longer on her torso, ripping through the fabric of her dress. Before the next blink, they became almost three metres in length, bunched together, piercing the spot behind Sonic. They retracted just as rapidly, leaving a replica of Sonic's face needled into the solid wall.

Merciful chilidogs! That kid wanted to turn his head into Swiss cheese! Sonic spun away as far as he could from the abnormal rabbit. His breath was heavy and uneven, but not from fatigue. Seeing such danger coming from a tiny female (that went to bed before seven) was simply too much to swallow.

"Awgh, don't run, Mr. Sonic, I want to draw you whole!"

She followed, albeit much slower than the hero could run. This gave him a window of opportunity. All Sonic had to do was stay on his feet and the rabbit would never get close enough for another injury. The thought has been consoled him for a good ten seconds until she sniffled. Oh, no!

"Mr. Sonic…don't you like my drawings?"

From her facial expression, the hero could tell she expected a real answer. He had learnt a good lesson by now: the "n" word was definitely a bad choice.

"I do like them!" he exclaimed in the most awkward tone possible, trying not to hiss from the pain she put him through.

Sonic wanted to burrow into the ground to escape her reaction. The female smiled joyously, but it wasn't the usual shy grin. It was a large toothy smirk that gleamed like a beacon. Electricity swirled around her, puffing up her fur so it needled its way completely out of the clothing. Now her fur was free to grow and move as it saw fit.

"Yay!"

The child's outburst sent an explosion of furry projectiles. Her hair swished through the air, slicing into every obstacle, including Sonic. One wouldn't have noticed Cream in the middle of the razor sharp spiky ball, the edges of which were attached to most of the room's surfaces. Had the hero not dived face-first to the area's farthest end, he'd have been culinary history.

Sonic gazed at the monster with fearful eyes, a few sturdy hairs stuck in his foot. He tried to remove them, but as much as touching the fuzz lines resulted in gashes. The hero couldn't move. A false tug could easily lose him a leg.

Fortunately, they moved back into Cream, and she was once more the happy little bunny. The creature looked around the room in astonishment, her mouth open wide. The entire space was tattooed in pin marks, and every surface had a different picture, stabbed into metal with her modified hair. Some had Sonic rolled into a ball, others – him doing a victory pose. The wall behind him, however, had an imprint of Eggman, strangling the blue hero.

Cream gasped, putting her palms over her mouth, as she noticed the violent graphic. The rabbit gave him an apologetic look and stepped closer. Sonic shook his head, getting up, and took a defensive stance in hope she'd stay away. This proved to be a useless action; Cream ignored everything, consumed by the picture.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I forgot your eyes…"


	11. Laugh

Cream whimpered mournfully at the mistake. How could she draw a pretty picture and forget Sonic's beautiful pupils? It would be fixed right now!

"No, it's fine…" he said, trying to smile, before running out of her way.

It wasn't fine! Everyone needed eyes in a picture! It made people happy!

These thoughts turned her moan into a wail, and, finally, a blaring siren. Her own eyes became itchy, burning from so much sorrow inside the little bunny. Woe made her sweet voice broken, and the female gasped for air. It felt so difficult just to stand up. She wanted to fall down and curl on the floor so nobody would see her failure, especially the hero, but couldn't. Lowering her head hurt much more than weeping, so Cream kept holding it high, until dull anguish raised her pitch.

"A-aah!" she screamed all of a sudden, looking straight up at the ceiling.

Her hands squeezed her head as if the rabbit was having a splitting headache. She wobbled on the spot, only able to shriek her heart out loud while the pain increased without any intension to stop. Failure hurt…and she was almost happy to be in physical pain for drawing badly. Repenting would help.

Sonic's communicator clicked. It was the paranoid fox again.

"What is it Tails?"

There was a brief silence. "I…can't open the door."

"Thanks a lot."

"It's not my fault! The static in the room doesn't let me override!"

"But I smashed Eggman's TV," said the hedgehog, snarling at his friend's ignorance.

"What I meant is…forget it."

Sonic didn't really have a choice. Seeing Cream stand on her tippy toes, whimpering almost constantly, was mind-consuming enough. As dumb as it sounded, the hero was stuck, because he could neither help her nor himself, but it was no reason to stay idle. Stubbornly, he tried to approach the tense-looking rabbit. Cream's tiny body immediately reacted to the move: an electric arc curved down from her head to the floor, making her fur bolt upright, coiling and thickening in his direction.

Another step made the crying settle down a bit. Her face was now covered in large beads of sweat while the rabbit breathed feverishly. Sonic tried to remain calm – a losing battle – until her fur fuzzed up far enough to reach the nose. The hero was about three metres away from the female, and another stride forward would set the furry urchin into lethal action.

Cream didn't seem to mind. A smile appeared on her face during the process, and a giggle escaped her lips. She sighed and turned to face the hedgehog.

The image was far from what he had expected. Cream's eyes were missing. Two dark orbs with red circles for pupils were imprinted into her face...they were Eggman's eyes. The rabbit bared her teeth, which were far from choppers of an herbivore. Eggman's handiwork could turn the most innocent, fragile creature into a threatening monster…

"Cream?" the hero asked, ready to retreat.

"I'm happy now, Mr. Sonic!"

From that moment, the grin wouldn't disappear from her muzzle. Hair blades retracted into her flesh and the rabbit came closer to Sonic, wiggling her gloveless fingers.

"You'll help me finish the picture, won't you?" the sweet and scary child asked, giddier than a demon.

Sonic was having a rough day. Another question he couldn't really answer. It didn't matter: the kid wanted to pin the tail through a hedgehog. The moment her index finger pointed at him, the hedgehog knew it was his cue to run. Dagger-like lines of fur streamed in his direction for a nice meaty hit. She seemed happy to feel him run. Her other fingers stretched out, creating sharp obstacles in his path. On top of all that, her strikes kept up with an aesthetic pattern, ornamenting the walls with swirls and flowers. It would take one false move to paint them red…

That female was just playing with Sonic. Spikes that rapidly coiled out of her fingertips, making the hedgehog yelp and squeak while changing direction, have also gotten him angry. With Eggman, he could at least expect an _honourable_ battle with masculine hitting. This was plain disrespectful to his hero status.

Cream or not, this girl was allowing herself too much, and if she wanted a fight, Sonic would give her one!

He stopped in his tracks, staring the feminine beast down. She smiled mockingly and lifted her palm for another blow. A strand of hair flew in his direction, but missed by a few centimetres. Sonic was about to comment on her aim, but a spark, frolicking on the projectile, forced him to stay on high alert. Cream giggled, ejecting another stream of fur to surround the hedgehog. He turned around, ready to slide underneath her aim, but the moment he thought about it, the hairs spread out like fans. Sonic was now locked between two walls of lethal hair. The hero gulped, seeing no way out. Crimson pooled underneath his feet. At this rate, she would drain him of fluids in seconds.

The rabbit had a better idea. A buzz reached Sonic's ears, making him move back as far as he could from the mad bunny. Another spark brushed down along her fur. That time, it didn't stop by the ground. Instead, the power grew, branching out all over Cream's fragile body, sending her into a giggle fit.

"Hold still, sir! I want to share the joy!"

Trapped like a rat in a cage, he knew what was coming. And it was no consolation. Cream set the energy free to jump on the strands that surrounded Sonic. Arcs connected the hairs together, creating a spiderweb of electricity, reaching out from Cream's body. She squeaked, and her happiness made the electricity grow wider, move further away. Hairs electrified near Sonic. The moment the lightning bolts would connect from the surrounding walls – he would be tazed to death.

Sonic growled irritably. The feeling of having no way out shadowed all anguish. He glared at Cream, who only grinned wider at the gesture. The time was now.

Lightning bolts joined together between the two fan-like walls, blasting a screen of energy at Sonic. He braced for impact, tightening his muscles, eyes closed, and walked forward. Cream's discharge quickly leaped onto his body, seeding pain wherever it touched. His legs felt like stone blocks, the weight pulling him down to the floor. Sonic howled in pain as electricity confused his senses, making the heart squeeze and race uncontrollably.

So that was what he had experienced in the dark. He still had some time…to go… Feeling faint, he came down on all fours, crawling towards the nemesis…a little spoiled brat! Looking up, Sonic saw that grin. It wasn't hers, no. Only Eggman could smile this way, the freak that killed two of his best friends…

The hedgehog jumped to his feet, and lunged at Cream. "**Eggman**!!!"

His feral cry made the discharge stop, the grin melting off the rabbit's face. Cream's fur retracted back into her delicate shape, offering absolutely no protection against Sonic's mad attack. The hero squeezed his hands on her neck, glaring death into her hollow red pupils.

Laughter, that insane, freakish noise. Eggman was still laughing at him. Sonic could not stand the doctor's mockery. He squeezed tighter to teach the sicko a lesson. Nobody would laugh at the hero. **Nobody**!

Gritting teeth, he couldn't even see what was happening. Adrenaline rushed to his brain, leaving the muscles to function uncontrollably. This was the ultimate release, all the fear and negativity was channelled directly into the little girl's body through excessive violence. It felt so good to squeeze her neck into nothing. The tissue resisted just about enough to make it rewarding.

Somehow, despite all the pain and negativity, a voice managed to whisper through Cream: "The doctor helps you, too."

That was the last straw! His hands quivered, lusting for a massacre, but they couldn't apply more force. Instead, the hedgehog lifted his foot and kicked the little rabbit's chin. Her figure clunked against the cold hard ceiling, making the girl yelp. It wasn't a sound of anguish or remorse. She was genuinely surprised the event occurred. When she bounced into the ground and couldn't move, Cream's surprise grew greater still.

Finally under control, that tiny evil would be put down and he'd continue destroying Eggman's loser empire. He'd end it quickly: Sonic saw robots execute innocent beings before.

A desperate shout reached his earpiece: "Snap out of it!"

"Shut up, Eggman!" he cried in a high-pitched tone.

Sonic clenched a bloody fist, taking careful aim. Nobody laughs at a hero.


	12. Warm

Cream lay bruised and naked on the floor. Her executioner would finish off the rabbit with a single strike. The energy Sonic gathered from the golden ring in his fist would effectively break the bunny's ribcage. One shouldn't live after messing with a hero.

The little female coughed, her dark irises fixated on the floor. "The doctor helps everyone," she said, feeling him approach, "but I'm happy you've healed."

Whose tears were that? Sonic heard faint signs of crying in the back of his head. He looked around, ready to grant a heavy punch to anyone who wished to interrupt. No, nobody else was in the room: just the hero, Cream and her needle pictures.

Another sound dizzied his consciousness. He couldn't tell what it was, but that noise reminded him of someone. Eggman?! No, as the irritation in Sonic's ears continued, he deducted it couldn't be the fat man. It sounded softer.

"Tails?" Sonic asked.

"Is it really you?" the voice replied from his earpiece.

"Yeah… Did you see Eggman?"

There was a sigh. "Please, just…don't do anything. I've had enough."

Sonic couldn't understand the fox. What was he talking about?

Not a good time to chat, though. Cream pushed up on her hands and rose to her feet. The female looked…fuzzier than before.

"He's getting up…" Sonic commented, delusional and ready to fight.

Tails pouted at the remark. "Just listen! Cream consumes negativity…"

It made Sonic blink in confusion. He rubbed those tired eyes and looked attentively. "Wait, Cream's here? I was fighting Eggman!"

"Just stay calm. The door will open if you just…stay calm."

The fox sighed again, staying on the line to assure Sonic wouldn't lose touch with reality. He encouraged the hero not to be intimidated by anything the foe would decide to do.

In the meantime, Cream began shovelling towards Sonic. One of her legs had broken during the fall earlier, so movement was slow. Her eyes were transfixed on the hedgehog, the emotionless stare sending chills down his spine. The rabbit's toothy smile showed a different image.

"I'll be an artist when I grow up, sir. Mama always tells me…even though I like it _abstract_."

"Ignore her. Close your eyes."

Sonic gulped, but did as the genius ordered him. Tails obviously knew the beast better than him.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, Sonic chanted in his mind, trying not to pay attention to what he felt.

Scratching was heard. Her needle fur impaled into the walls. Cream chuckled at the disturbing sounds, testifying her love for drawing in ridiculous childish phrases. The hero tried hard not to listen, especially when a gust of wind surrounded him. Sonic found the squeezing feeling around his torso fake. Nothing had just lifted him into the air. No, he wasn't bashed into the ceiling due to a kid's paranormal abilities. The faint fleshy smell did not belong to him.

Sonic reached inner peace.

He belonged to it for over a second. Being lurched into an uncomfortable foetal position stopped the efforts. Sonic glanced at himself and wished he was blind. He doubted a mortal would last long with wounds as great as his. The hedgehog could see muscle fibre on his arms. Burnt fur was around his waistline, near a round stripe that was skinned clean.

Cream was approaching. And Sonic was told to remain calm. He opened his eyes briefly again, envisioning the room. It changed. Walls were covered in red drizzle, his victory pictures swiped in half. Misshapen Eggman figures decorated the ceiling, and one imprint of Tails had appeared.

"Buddy…" he whispered, unable to concentrate on anything, "You're the problem."

His hand turned off the communicator, breaking the link with Tails. The appendage went limp afterwards. Sonic was too tired to move. He felt wet, but thirsty at the same time. His head was spinning even though the hedgehog lay on the ground. The creature wanted to get some sleep. It sounded like a great idea. Sonic would have smiled at this, but his face wouldn't respond.

Silence.

Only fans whirling on the ceiling made a sound. Sonic's breath was too slow to be noticed. Cream wasn't breathing at all. The rabbit just stopped. She blinked a few times, her eyes redeeming their white, reverting from empty reddened holes. The female was confused. Where was she? What happened to her?

"Mama!"

Abnormally fuzzed up fur scared her to bits. Sparks surrounded her body, but instead of increasing the length of her hairs, it shrank them. Evenly, fur retreated towards the female, and didn't stop there. Hairs punctured through her skin as long as they were, leaving the little girl unable to do anything. Screams only made the process faster. Everything ached her: arms, feet, chest, head. Her body bled as a whole, the steel-strong fur inserting itself into her organs, piercing through every boundary. Bones smashed and hollow. The brain – a labyrinth of burrows.

Her remains fell. In seconds, the flesh was squeezed dry and reduced to a pile of fur floating in a vaporous puddle. Cream was no more.

The hatch to the cargo area opened. Its slam made Sonic's eyelids shoot open. He shuddered and got up, dizzy. The hedgehog tried to recall what happened and where he was. The Death Egg was still there and…he wasn't dead?

Sonic pinched himself. Yow! Still alive. Though, how could have his wounds disappeared? There was no blood on his fur. Walls remained a clean aesthetic metal. It was a hallway. The hero shuddered at the thought. He _did_ fight, right? No evidence remained to suggest it, however.

One hairy puddle could have meant something, but Sonic pretended it wasn't there. He was in a rush to find Eggman. The hero cracked his knuckles and grinned, looking at the area before him.

"You were saying, Tails?"

"Straight from here."

Sonic huffed. "Don't bet on it."

The cargo room he reached looked different than what was seen earlier. Walls were covered in ash and dirt. Oil spills situated themselves randomly on the floor. Various mechanical sounds rang in his eardrums. Cautiously, the hedgehog sprinted through the curved pitch-sized room. Warning lights and dangerous chemical containers disturbed his view. Sonic wished to appear somewhere less polluted.

Gazing at the unnatural scenery too much for his attention span; the hedge bumped into an open fuel canister. It hurt his cheek. Whose bright idea was it to put stuff in a hero's way? Sonic growled, pushing back from the two-metre-tall barrel, which decided to wobble.

Uh-oh. Sonic attempted to hold it in place, but the liquid inside just couldn't be pacified. The hero's excessive strength only made matters worse. It swivelled on the floor and fell atop Blue Blur, spilling most of its contents.

Eww, it smelled so nasty! The ugly liquid was all over Sonic's cerulean fur. Hairs matted and stuck together, soiling the beautiful pure colour with an alien substance. Sighing, he crawled from under the container, promising his azureness to be more careful next time. At the same time, squeezing his quills to remove excess liquid, Sonic hoped to find a washroom somewhere. Even a nutcrack like Eggman needed grooming once in a while.

"Warm greetings, rodent!"

Speak of the devil, there it was: 130 kilos of bald evil…with a flamethrower.

A bad day to be soaked in fuel.


	13. Fake

Eggman grinned at the hedgehog. "You look surprised, Sonic. Lighten up!"

The madman put on a gasmask and aimed his flamethrower at Sonic. Not a good situation once you're soaked in jet fuel. A stream of liquid fire spilled forward with a low-tone sound. Flame spread and swallowed oxygen in its path, leaving behind only poisonous dark smoke. Sonic's fear reflected in Eggman's safety goggles. It uplifted the maniac, adrenaline forcing him to press the trigger further and reach out to shower the hedgehog in lethal heat.

He was laughing, almost spitting into the mask's air filter while Sonic performed like an acrobat to escape the fiery tongues. Just one lick would have been lethal and he knew it well. To his misfortune, Eggman was also informed. As he spun away, attempting to get out of danger, drops of fuel ejected themselves off his pelt. Caught by fire, they crackled and popped.

Sonic gulped. His skin was dipped in some really explosive stuff. Chances were that he could end up like Rouge. And the thought made him grit teeth in anguish. His body begged for violence, justice against the madman that just couldn't give up and die already. Yet, the hero's mind couldn't even allow him to approach Eggman's cocky self.

The gall of him: walking out personally with a single weapon against the hero. Sonic felt ridiculed and mocked. Robotnik has never had the courage to face him physically. It was always the hero versus a stupid robot. Now Eggman replaced the routine's stupid part.

Luckily, the cargo area had enough shady objects for him to find a hiding spot. Sonic's heart ran so much faster than his breath it was difficult to think. In fact, feet were doing the planning for him. Tucking away behind a large metal box, he took a moment to recuperate, eyeing the corner for any movement, legs ready to spring into action.

"Come out, don't be shy!" Eggman called from afar, his steps peering closer. The villain paid no heed to safety. "Aren't you eager to feel like a Blaze?" he asked, laughing loudly.

He's had enough of the man's _pompastic_ mindcracks! The moment Sonic would see Eggman's behemoth gut, he'd lunge straight at it and assure the man is set on a permanent diet. Sonic was ready.

The same sound rattled his eardrums. Eggman appeared from around the corner, swishing an arc of fire at the hedge. Revenge would wait.

Life is now!

"Burn!" the doctor hissed, watching Sonic spindash away.

Not good enough!

Eggman increased pressure, wanting the vigilant rat to feel the heat with his tail. "Die! Char! ... Melt!"

Another close shave. Why hadn't he just attacked the fat buffoon? Robotnik was within kicking range and Sonic's speed could not be matched by anything invented by man. He snorted and leaped onto a rusty barrel to be seen.

"Here Eggy!"

Eggman chortled, firing at the blue figure. "Now, Sonic! Die now!"

Unfortunately, the figure was but a mirage. Having dealt with initial shock, the hedgehog escaped the blaze. The barrel, however, was real. Heating up quickly, it puffed up and exploded, chucking the bold villain into the nearest wall. His head slumped to his shoulders as the man felt weak from the sudden blow. A barrel disobeyed Robotnik's ultimate will…the genius set it to self-destruct and repent for its disrespect. The pain he felt was a clear consequence of having imperfect barrels onboard the supreme base.

Sonic felt lucky. Why didn't he try that out earlier? Eggman looked almost cute, slouched down and unconscious in a corner. The hero's current dilemma was where to punch him first. That gushy abdomen looked attractive, but nothing could beat the pleasure of smacking him right in the nose. Sonic grinned from ear to ear, cracking his knuckles while approaching the villain.

The hero took a firm hold of the man's suit so the figure wouldn't get away. He'd just knock the unconscious egg back to life. That mask was in the way. One swift pull snapped the rubber loose. Sonic's eyes glinted in satisfaction: Robotnik was still breathing. Now the hedgehog had to solve a great dilemma. How to pay back for what he had done to all his friends without killing the freak too soon?

"Sonic! Hurry-ah!"

Huh?

He shouldn't have. The familiar scream turned his head away from the hostage. Eggman has been obviously counting on this. Grinning silently, the man lifted his head to glare at the worrisome rodent. The gun clicked.

Sonic let go instantly. The ill-timed burst of flame caught him off guard and his legs were unable to start moving on time. He could feel the liquid heat approach his body. The multi-coloured tongues hissed as they moved until lodging at his chest. It tickled for a split millisecond, sudden warmth setting the fur to shiver. Then it connected with particles of fuel still stuck between hairs.

The reaction was quick and effective. A ring of fire spread in every direction as the flamethrower added more life into the process. Sonic lit up in a bluish hue. Within the next three heartbeats, the hero would be no longer. Eggman started to lick his lips at the delightful scene.

One. Sonic pulled himself away from the fiery current. His feet accelerated faster than friction would have normally allowed a living being.

Two. Using the accumulated energy, he sprung into the air in a wild twister, sucking in dust and any loose parts from the ground. It was not a blue tornado, but a light show. The hue began turning yellow at the point. Sonic's haste spread it over everything inside the whirlwind.

Now or never. Sonic squeezed himself into a tight ball, propelling down into the ground to blindly roll in a random direction. Anywhere but death.

His tornado remained active, most of the flammable liquid now locked inside. Time ticked down to null. Flames morphed into a menacing red, preceding an explosion. Blinding light escaped the wind as the swirls grew exponentially, denting the floor, ceiling and pretty much everything solid enough to hinder its increase.

The thundering bang created a rough circular clearing in the room. It became a lot easier to navigate. Some lights were knocked out, but his sight gave him an advantage over Eggman, whose loud self-gratification was easy to find. Heh, he thought Sonic had evaporated.

Amongst the infernal heat, the scientist felt out of place. Something sent chills down his spine. It was Sonic, who managed to press Robotnik into a solid steel wall hard enough to make the man feel dizzy.

"Stop squirming!" Sonic snarled.

He kicked the captured man in the stomach. A punch almost halved the doctor's nose and another made him yelp like a woman. The pain made him forget everything else. Robotnik fell to the floor, shivering a bit. He still tried to reach out for the gun and threaten Sonic, but…he knew there was no more fuel left. Robotnik sighed loudly, something that was perceived by the hero as a yell.

Blue Blur picked him up again. The villain was dazed and couldn't really know what was happening. His nose and trousers felt wet, that's all.

"I'm done playing your sick games, Eggfuck. Now you will explain-"

Eggman groaned semi-consciously. "Robotnik…cannot be defeated."

"Shut up!"

Sonic sent him flying into a glass contraption. The audacity…he had interrupted the hero. Getting shards all over his fat suit served him right. Sonic would get his answers now.

Those anger-filled eyes couldn't ignore the surroundings, though. Eggman fell into some gadget of his…a machine. "Matter Replicator" was written on it along with words praising Robotnik's _ultimate_ wisdom. So that's how he's appeared more than once! The bastard spawned more of himself.

It meant the Eggman he chucked all over the room was but a worthless copy, a weak clone. Anger made Sonic's quills bolt upright. He'd wished to dig through the fake, but found a better solution. The replica had landed into the "out" cabin. A devilish thought cheered Sonic up. He looked around for something that would fit in the other part of the invention.

A rusty sewage pipe!

In the meantime, Eggman managed to sit up and look around groggily. He wanted to stand up, knowing what was happening, but his legs wouldn't function! The man yelled desperately, unable to even crawl out while Sonic carried over the pipe and thrust it into the machine's opposite end.

"Hedgehog! Your friends will pay for this! You will watch everyone dear to you die and do nothing!"

There was only one button on the console. Sonic pushed it.

"Fakers shouldn't speak."

He didn't care to look behind. What mattered was that this Eggman got silenced and wouldn't be in his hair. Now, he could follow the cry for help. At the end of the room stood two oval-shaped doors with the villain's logo. One of them had a flashing light that said "Do Not Enter" while the other had "Core Control" written on it.

Screams emanated from the first.

"Wait!" Tails cried from the communications uplink. "Sonic…you know what you _should_ do, right?"

No answer.

"You lied to me…so do what you feel is right."


	14. Girly

His puzzle acquired its last missing piece. The rest would come together in perfect accord. Doctor Ivo Robotnik smiled with childish glee as the prisoner was brought to him. What a beautiful sight. She was defiant just like him, truly unable to give up. Even now, locked in a large cell with a single light above, tracking her every destructive, uncoordinated move.

Tears and sweat dripped from her cheeks. Whimpers interrupted the solitary peace. Ill-timed gasps pursued swiping motion. The hammer banged against random surfaces, causing pointless noise. It would be stopped…

With great reluctance, he had to teach the girl a lesson. Her puny form was thrust into the ground without a hint of remorse. Precisely, so every bone would remain intact. The prisoner had to survive until time was right.

Eggman's deep, calm voice was heard: "Why must you struggle, child?"

"Because he loves me!" she yelled with excitement under a disgruntled tone.

The female hedgehog threw her Piko Piko Hammer at the source, putting a speaker out of commission. Amy jumped happily at the direct hit and spun around her axis to celebrate. Though, fatigue and discontent were still evident. She kept looking around cautiously, waiting for a target substitute to pop up. Eggman didn't make her wait long.

"Emotions lead great men to their ultimate downfall. You are but a tiny hedgehog."

The hammer broke the second speaker. She stomped on the floor impatiently. Amy Rose would not be held hostage…again. **Ever**!

"Why am I here?!"

"Because he is, too."

That response confused her. Amy wanted to nod with the doctor, but refrained. A man of his age might have just wanted to sweet talk a beautiful lady like her. He would never get away with this! Her heart belonged only to Sonic, the one and only. Everyone else was inferior to him, especially fat, old, ugly people. Sadly, her misguided thoughts were exactly what the doctor had counted for. While the rosy foe was busy meditating about Sonic's extraordinary plural greatnesses, she let her guard down.

Being hoisted into the air by what looked like a large flexible pipe came as a surprise to the hedgehog. She tried to hit the snaky appendage with her unblemished fists. The girl even used her teeth to cause the captor pain. Apparently, she wasn't dealing with anything organic and a machine kept her secured. Kicking and screaming, Amy demanded freedom and immediate explanations. With every passing gasp, her words would become harsher and louder. Eggman's ears couldn't appreciate it.

She was kindly introduced to a _mild _electric surge. Amy cried even louder from added physical pain. Muscles contracted uncontrollably. Her head felt disturbingly hot, while the feet went cold. Robotnik smiled at how effective the technique was. He could now carry on with the plan.

A prickling sensation reached the female from the back. Feeling a bit disorientated after the discharge, she could only faintly identify what was happening. A sharp edge tore through the fabric of her dress. Amy shuddered once the intrusion reached her skin. It was stiff and cold, but only initially. The object then got warmer and, for a moment, she couldn't feel at all. The next thing she knew, however, was that something moved inside her. She tried not to think, pretending it's a depressing dream. Dizziness gave a beautiful excuse for it to be so, even while the slithering reached her tummy. The female cried of violation, yet wanted to remain in denial. She rejected reality, which felt fulfilling and warm, but stretchy. It was repulsive to feel the way she did and be completely ignorant of the cause.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked timidly.

Amy's voice was far too silent for anyone to hear it. The female couldn't hear anything, too, finding herself in a drunken daze. It didn't even hurt when she flopped back to the floor, without a single answer. Only tears could give away that she was in deep sorrow. Little drops first resembled teenage anxiety and tendency to overreact, and then raw emotion from the bottom of her fragile heart.

Having gotten back to her senses, the female was treated to the same cell. One light and one voice tormented her solitude.

"Genius always has the upper hand. You're not my ace, but you will be a spade," the demented man said through the intercom. It buzzed at the end, but Eggman decided to continue: "Feel free to sulk while you are safe."

Spade? Sulk? Safe? That guy was crazy with everything from letters to edumucation!

The hammer appeared in her hand and she resumed the only method that helped her vent the frustration: mindlessly hitting the walls in hope of causing Eggman pain. She already knew the damage he had done to her. It empowered the female's actions.

Power rose to its maximum once the entrance began to slip open. Now Amy's fury would be unleashed! And she chose the first thing behind the door to help her achieve that goal. The hammer impacted time and time again with what should have been Eggman.

At first, the pink girl kept her eyes shut, blindly attacking whatever. Curiosity and familiar shouting made her glimpse with one eye.

Oh my goodness! It's Sonic!

The hero stumbled into the room, holding onto his head that she bonked up like a piggy bank. He wanted to say something smart, since the first time her hammer made the squeaky sound, the hedgehog already knew who the headache was. He decided not to, dropping to the floor in frustration instead.

Ugh…out of all things he frowned upon on the dumb space station, Amy hammered him down.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling a tight cuddle around his neck.

"Expecting," she smiled somewhat hesitantly, "my saviour."

Now he had a fluffy fan to babysit. Though, Sonic was actually the one sitting, Amy draped over his shoulders. He sighed, trying to hug her back.

There was a crackle, which made the girl squeeze him closer. Amy's fragrant pelt was nice, as well as the fabric of her dress. Sonic tried not to smile, realising that even her sweat smelled like a primrose. His hands moved slowly on her back, trying to calm down both. It always felt so much better without the gloves, but he had to keep them on. Especially after he had noticed a rip on the back of her clothes. A fingertip pressed on the open spot and slid off her body. Gentle and quiet – not to disturb the scared female.

Red.

She must have noticed the worrisome expression in his eyes. "Don't let go!"

"Amy, what is-"

"You're my last hope!"

A screen slid down on the wall behind her. Only Sonic could see it.

"You're strangling me! Cut it out!"

"Please, Sonic, say you love me!"

The screen turned on. Twenty minutes left until collision. He was running short!

"Amy, no!"

"Please-please-please! This is the only time. Love me, Sonic, **love me**!"

Sonic huffed at her persistence. Her tears and his difficulty to breathe alarmed the hero.

Amy sniffled, rubbing her face on his chest. "Just don't let go, dearest! _No matter what_…"

A bright red dot appeared on the side of her head. It was a laser marker. Sonic's eyes widened with shock: the villain would shoot her.

"Girl, I have a world to save!" With that, he forcefully pushed the pink hedgehog away.

Now he could answer the threat that was cowardly hiding in the dark. Eggman would pay for harming his friends.

The single beam of light disappeared. The room became fully illuminated. It was way too easy now! Sonic would just run towards the source and destroy…a mounted laser keychain?!

A decoy! Oh no! He shunned Amy for no reason.

She was weeping on the ground, grinding her face against the cold tiles. The female didn't want to be seen. Her greatest wish was to curl up into a hermetic ball and isolate herself from the world. Maybe then Amy could suffocate in peace… But no, he decided to poke her. For what? An apology? Too fucking late to apologise, blue jerk! She wouldn't move.

He was forced to turn her. Holding Amy firmly by the sides, he glared into her eyes. So this was his game? That so-called hero wanted to see her cry. Only a man could be so insensitive…

Sonic was rejected in the most brutal way possible: she slapped him.

"I'm not a part of the world _you_ wish to save!"

He could still make it, even with some girly drama for a delay. Nineteen minutes left.

The drama he was to witness came far from any expectation. Amy tore off a piece of her dress and pointed at her abdomen. Bright diodes could be seen protruding from shaved skin. Unlike the large timer onscreen, that one measured eighteen seconds.

Eggman had implanted a bomb inside Amy.


	15. Please

Sniffing to fight the tears, she yelled: "Happy?!"

He was taken aback by this. Wide-eyed and red-cheeked, he fidgeted to stand up after the hit. Legs felt like concrete slabs and his body had absolutely no coordination as senses scattered in chaos. Her high-pitched whines made Sonic wish he was deaf. The bloodshot eyes and liquid ready to pour down Amy's cheeks forced his pupils to close. And her rosy scent! It was overwhelming in the sterile cell! Such a joyous sugary bouquet clashed completely with the miserable teen up front.

Amy's eyes neither teared nor streamed. They bled like her soul never had. For all he'd done, for all she'd suffered… For every single smile he lifted to his face and thrust it into the pavement without a hint of mercy!

"Amy, I-"

"Never listen to me!"

Sonic was baffled, but also scared. At that point, he couldn't distinguish whether it was a statement or a command. That voice had an abnormally high-pitch, crashing into a low threatening tone. He had never heard a sound this horrid coming from the rosy hedgehog.

"But-"

"You never did! See where it got us?"

Her grip on the shred of her dress tightened. Sonic could feel the pressure in her hand as much as in his own head. What to do? Where to go? The hero was in no condition to handle that!

"I'll get Tails on, he'll know-"

She let go. Instead, her hands reached for her head, attempting to rip the quills straight off the scalp. The muffed agonising noise she emanated while fighting the hair was brutal. Angry with resistance, she let go, the face in uncontrollable tremor, delicate fingertips aching to serve pain.

Encountering Cream was nothing compared to this.

Amy stepped closer. "It's always Tails!" Step. "I'm sick of Tails!" Step. "Tails this, my bro that. When is it going to be _Amy, dearest_?" She bent forward, glaring at him while the shaky voice still resonated from the walls.

Please, ceiling, crush my head…

"Please, Amy…"

"Too late, Blue Boy. _I_ begged and pleaded… I'm sorry it didn't work out. Maybe next time."

His eyes kept gazing at her abdomen, watching time trickle away, tying his tongue up. Sonic had nothing to say to her! Even if he did, he wouldn't have the physical ability to whisper it out. Amy, however, had all the words in the world, completely disregarding the tears. Her sadness drizzled down onto the floor, making crisp vibrant sounds, complementing the female's whimper; Amy couldn't help herself. It was everything she had left now. At least…the pink hedge wouldn't leave with a grim load.

That ugly child she wanted to make a boyfriend of looked almost twice as pathetic as her. The hero had thrashed it all in her heart. Even now, he couldn't keep his gaze above her chest. Sonic's curious eyes were violating her. Though, Amy wouldn't even try to guess whether he viewed her for her, or the timer.

A bitter smile crept on her face. "At least I won't die as a virgin."

Sonic wanted to run to the female, squeeze her again in hope of salvation or a peaceful parting. However, that was stripped from him. The room rumbled and shook. Both fell to their rears from vibration. The floor was rising.

At the same time, the ticker on Amy's belly hit zero. She closed her eyes, whispering "I love you, love" and hoped for the best.

To her dismay, the fragile body was not pulled apart with an explosion. Her organs did not splatter on the walls and Sonic did not become one damned iota closer to her intestines.

The girl fell. She fell hard to the cold tiles and could no longer get up. It stung for a moment. Her head became hot in fear, but the mouth had already lost its will. The device Eggman had implanted prolonged her life for a precious second. It was enough for her existence to fly through her eyes like on a movie screen. Poison leaked into the bloodstream, coagulating her blood in an instant. Vessels stiffened and popped, shrivelled up and unstable. Capillaries spiderwebbed under her skin. The lips ran dry. Her irises lost their natural colour. Red spilled over her sight, turning purple, and quickly cocooning the female's senses in thick black.

Screaming stilted inside her head. Amy left Sonic.

As he tried to approach the limp body, the hedgehog could not make up a single thought. Not this! Not another one! Hands rose to his face on instinct, squeezing the cheeks mercilessly. If pain could awaken Sonic from this nightmare, that had to be it. He wouldn't accept reality that mistreated him so horrifically. More pain would wake him up.

It wouldn't work.

Sonic bit and battered himself in agony, everything that would disturb one's sick fantasies. This proved to be a waste of time and effort. The body still stared into his bleeding heart, the sight scarring his fragile psyche.

Knuckles' corpse had turned to ashes before his eyes. Rouge had evaporated into thin air, leaving a fragment of her wing in his palm. Eggman spat into the depths of his fragile, young soul, turning it into a monstrous abyss.

Memories of carnage pulled him down. The young hero crippled to the floor, staring at his own reflection in a dirty tile. Droplets smudged the image more. Sonic whined for air, a lump in his throat making it difficult to breathe. The wail then turned into an angry outcry. The hedgehog groaned senselessly, smashing his fists into the floor. Like a stray hound, he howled for a leash to save him from fatal emptiness.

Sonic gnawed his lip until it bled, trying to still the noise coming from his throat. And it just flowed like a river: disturbing sounds and syllables that made him shiver. Saliva dripped from his mouth, sight blurred with tears. He felt dizzy, but couldn't stop anything.

Negativity was destroying him from the inside and the hero knew it well. Self-harm was but a mild unconscious relief. Sonic's essence required full release: quick and deadly, nothing less.

The ground shook. Walls moved. Sonic didn't care.

Blue Blur crawled towards Amy Rose. His eyes begged her non-existent irises for a hint. Lying on the cold floor, he squeezed her palms together, rubbing his nose over them. The hero silently asked forgiveness, trying to think.

Someone out there must have heard his plead.

"You'll never make it in time, Sonic. I'm coming!" Tails' voice came from the communicator, returning some sanity into Sonic's tunnel.

"Make this end, Tails!" Sonic gripped his head, hitting it against the hard floor. **"I can't handle any longer! Ahhhh!**"

Tears ripped his vision apart as the hedgehog pressed his cheek to Amy's, rubbing and stroking her stiffening pelt. There was a click – the fox did not want to hear more. Sonic did the unthinkable to Amy whilst she was alive, his lips reached hers and…

Amy evaporated.

Sonic lay there, unable to realise what happened for a second. Thoughts. Thoughts. Think, Sonic, do **not** feel! It mustn't happen now.

His pupils narrowed down into dots. "**The fuck!**"

Sonic's hands convulsed as he shot up to his feet, breathing with a full chest of hatred. Whatever viscera the heart pumped at that moment rushed into his muscles as they tensed. Bits of red appeared wherever the fur was shorter. The hero would tear the space station apart to find the culprit…to repeat the process.

Fortunately, he wouldn't even need to leave the room. In front of him stood one of Eggman's minions, the Egg Leech, an eel-shaped skeletal robot with a large head and an enormous dark gap for a mouth. The silvery beast just lounged on the ground before being lifted by an unknown force. Levitating, the monster glowed bright blue, a shield surrounding its form. Inside the beast's throat was a Chaos Emerald that vaporised Amy.

Eggman's voice could be heard: "Pray. Genius spares none."


	16. Yellow

Sonic snorted. "Neither will I!"

The hedgehog vanished. Only dents in the floor could have given away that he ran towards the Egg Leech. Such incredible speed bypassed the snake-shaped machine's systems. The single thing it could record was a direct hit in the side. Sonic homing-attacked the monster with all his might. The hero unleashed his adrenaline and anguish upon the exoskeleton's surface, hoping to mince it down the size.

His passion was sweet. Stiff quills tore into the enemy's outer layers, helping him bounce away to roll to its underbelly for a kick. Whether stunned or idle, the machine wouldn't move until Sonic felt it had enough.

The hero leapt in front of its mouth, viewing the damage. Its armour was mostly broken off, sparks coming out of the gaps. Were it organic, it would have bled to death already. Sonic's vicious lightning-fast attacks tore into the foe's circuitry, making its cerulean glow diminish. Eggman's creation wobbled, losing power, and could barely levitate. Sonic smirked, taking out the final golden ring Tails had given him. The hero grasped it tight in his palm and closed his eyes. That would put an end to the robot's existence.

Sonic rolled into a ball, the ring shielding him from possible attacks as its energy was being assimilated. When the sphere reached a perfect shape, so no outsider would even tell it was Sonic, the hero charged forward, straight into Egg Leech's jaw.

"This one's for you, Amy…" Sonic hissed maliciously, approaching the machine's open mouth.

Quills fuzzed up a millisecond before impact to cause more damage, making Sonic grin. Soon he'd envision another victory…and avenge his mate.

Something happened. He stopped, unable to move further. What was wrong?! Sonic became trapped in the bonked up scrapheap.

To his surprise, shock and terror, he was entirely wrong. The worm, instead of falling down, gained altitude. Its metal frame smoothened out and all wires neatly clipped back into place. The Egg Leech was fully operational and now held Sonic captive.

He couldn't fidget nor breathe! And the sensation was all too familiar… Signature Omega's power vacuum. The monster was using a stolen Chaos Emerald to drain the Sonic of his life force. And unlike in the laboratory, the confined space between his foe's jaws left no room for manoeuvres.

Fear exploded in Sonic's face. He was avenging a friend! Why wouldn't life just grant him one damn wish?!

Life spat in his eye and laughed in broad daylight: the worm barfed out the hedgehog, making him roll on the ground. Still unable to move, he tumbled and skidded, scratching his skin against the uneven floor. The hero landed on his back, looking up.

Stars over a glass ceiling…the Death Egg lifted him from core control all the way to the surface. Even if he did win this battle, it would probably be too late and difficult to find a way back. Maybe…Sonic would stall for time. Tails was flying to meet him. Hopefully, the clever fox would actually stray from that goal and just blow up the core. At this point, seeing Sonic would have meant meeting the maker.

He had to stand up and keep fighting. No matter the pain, no matter the poisonous hatred he could no longer release, no matter what! Someone was still counting on the cerulean hero. Huh?

Merciful Chili! Sonic exclaimed in his head, having noticed something worse than a bruise. The sick apparatus turned him yellow! His fur, Sonic's beautiful blue became a dirty yellow! That worm sucked it off! A strike below the acceptable… No hero would stand for it. Eggman's clunker was going down.

Sonic jumped to his feet, ready for action once more. And it came from behind without warning. The robot's tail smashed into the hedgehog's spine, making him bend backwards in a sudden cry. It crackled in a sickening ear-splitting tone inside his ears. Sonic's eyes attempted to close, but pain and pressure made them open, wide and idle. His legs became numb for a second as he was smashed into the wall. A painful tremor then reminded him they were still attached.

The Egg Leech was a robot. It had no emotion, no tact or remorse. Unlike the creator, it was programmed to kill efficiently, with minimal costs. Seeing the opponent's weakening life signs, the intelligence executed another program.

Its mouth opened.

Sonic's eyes closed.

The Chaos Emerald glowed when a stream of light was sent towards the azure hedgehog. The infernal contraption exhaled deeply at the hero. It breathed out fire.

He felt cold. A gust of wind enveloped his body. For an instance, it seemed refreshing. Only when his fur began singeing did he realise what was happening: Sonic was set ablaze. Bristles lit up and scorched, curling towards the body, retreating without a struggle. It did not take long for his skin to catch up. Instinctively, the hedgehog rolled away from the flame, having lost half of his quills and generally unable to scratch anything.

This was not enough. The Egg Leech merely flew in a different direction, spewing flames on Sonic's trail like a dragon. Without stop, the monster eventually filled the large room with smoke. Visual sensors became useless. Heat detection also malfunctioned; the hedgehog's temperature must have become identical to the environment. Sonic was allowed a short breather while the foe commenced a surface scan.

A suppressed laugh barely made it out of his mouth. Such joy was the ability to control his fingers even though the rubber gloves had melted into the skin. It hurt, but the heat made him unable to cry…or see. Muscles contracted painfully. The spinal injury was taking hold; Sonic could no longer feel anything below his waistline.

He sighed in pitiful joy. At least half of his body would be void of torment in the immediate future. The very one that was scouring the floor for hedgehog-like meat puppets. It seemed to be difficult, as Sonic's shape deviated from signatures in the monster's memory. A pale hedgehog with tiny quills, a scorched tail and dry blood stains all over lay on the devastated floor. The hero tried to do _something_ to remain valiant. Sonic crawled away from the Egg Leech.

Big mistake. As the silhouette moved, it became more and more similar to preloaded images. Robotnik's failsafe computing arranged permanent recognition for the hedgehog's battered form. The machine floated in pursuit.

Sonic whimpered, sensing its sneaking approach with his hide. The more he tried to think, the more lost the hero would become. Without his eyes, the hedge was powerless. Without his legs, he was weak. Lacking massive quills…Sonic was soft like a jellyfish. Every next thought just made the unwanted scenario more probable. There was no light in the end of the tunnel. Was he sentenced to death? No. His punishment would first be defeat. Humiliation and regret sent by Eggman's proxy.

Blue Blur cried out menacingly, squinting with a splintered pain within the eye sockets. "Do your worst, Fatso! I **always** win!"

It was enough. Sonic dropped back to the floor in exhaustion just to be picked up by the levitating worm. The Egg Leech wrapped its tail around Sonic's limp form and chucked him in its mouth without any ado. Metal jaws closed, locking him up in an airtight chamber. Sonic knew what was happening.

The power vacuum gleamed from the robot's depths as it sapped the Chaos Emerald's energy. So bright and incredible it was that the hero could see white spots behind his closed eyelids. It was overwhelming enough to make him bite his dry lip to draw more blood.

A quiet strike. The light engulfed Sonic. His shrivelled up fur became light. The dirty yellow gradually lit up to chrome. Sonic's heart would stop when the beam would effectively pierce his bowels. So Eggman upped the ante for once. The right hand was already going numb, but the hero managed to smirk inside. Robotnik always makes a fatal mistake, no exceptions.

Using his functional left arm, Sonic pushed himself forward in the direction of the light's source. Huffing, with one last spur, he pushed his scrawny body off the monster's hull. And the left arm fell asleep. Sonic could no longer use it to accomplish his goal. Flying in the worm's belly, he knew it was do or die.

So he did. Bravely, Sonic opened his mouth, biting into the Chaos Emerald as hard as he could. The power vacuum made him black out immediately. His mind went hyper and numb at the same time. Thoughts scattered in desperation. Everything Sonic has ever been…vanished. Eggman's infernal weapon had gone directly through Sonic's brain, setting it on fire, erasing everything in its path.

But the bite remained, misplacing the jewel from its compartment. It slipped out and fell along with Sonic onto the beast's low point. The emerald shined as it kept contact with the now-white hedgehog.

Life, once drained, began returning into the hero, thanks to the gem's supernatural powers. Just one silly question arose with that.

Who am I?


	17. Faker!

The energy field around Eggman's machine blinked a few times. Its blue glow weakened, dissipated and no longer replenished. His menacing Egg Leech spit Sonic out before bursting onto the floor. Its systems turned offline. The science worm has been beaten. Hopefully, once and for all…

None of it concerned Sonic, though. The azure hero was fighting an awful headache that only increased over time. It was, in fact, the only thing that signified he was still alive. Regular senses remained in a dark mess. Movement was restricted to random convulsions as he lay on the floor. Eggman's power vacuum had stolen more than his memory; Sonic's organism was generally unable to translate signals coming from the brain. Thankfully, the attack had not affected his lungs and heart, keeping him in a subtle stasis.

He tried to fidget for the headache to cease growing. It felt as if pain drilled its nasty tentacles into his mind through the mouth, continuously channelling discontent. Seconds passed. Another muscle moved. The hedgehog coughed.

The Chaos Emerald he kept biting obliviously popped out of his mouth. Now he could sigh…the pain ceased.

Sonic stretched out tiredly and opened his eyes. Sight has returned. He could witness the wondrous display above: stars looked so nice from his position. The hedgehog grimaced, something his brain mistakenly translated as a smile.

"Lightbulbs decorate the ceiling!" he exclaimed joyously, thinking he spoke about stars shining in the sky.

It felt weird to talk. Sonic blinked in confusion and then tried to hum a melody. Excellent! It sounded just as he remembered. Though, the hedgehog still couldn't recall his name. Moreover, he couldn't figure out how to stop lying on the floor. Something tickled below his neck: his hands were fidgeting around for support. A slight push turned him upside down. Apparently, the body he had was stronger than presumed. Sonic tried getting up again, using only his pinkies. It resulted in a clean success.

The hedgehog looked around, wondering if someone was selling chilidogs nearby. He looked genuinely astounded. Nobody was waving a hotdog at him!

"Butter!" he swore angrily.

Another thing that confused him was the lack of nature in the room. Sonic could have easily suffocated without a tree to make oxygen. The situation looked threatening. He was lost someplace high, because the stars looked awfully clear. Very high indeed…he could see Earth from there, too. He needed directions. The now green-furred hedgehog didn't want to mess up anything. Sonic gulped worriedly, what if the large battered metal contraption in front of him was municipal property? He sort of remembered someone a lot like him hitting the machine, only that hedgehog was blue and had beautiful long quills. They were nothing like his own…tiny and scattered all over. Sonic sighed, wishing to be a bit more like that other guy and not so much…himself.

Something buzzed in his ear. It was uncomfortable. Sonic bopped the ear, astonished to find a piece of plastic inside. Noise was coming out of it, a person inside sounded very upset.

"Sonic! Can you hear me, Sonic?! Answer, for goodness sakes!"

"H-hello?" Sonic whispered bashfully.

"You're alive! Oh, Sonic what a relief."

Blue Blur scratched the back of his head. "What about Sonic?"

"Huh?"

"Where does it go?"

Tails was silent for a second; he tried to decipher Sonic's words. "Hah! You won't win this game again! You're Sonic and you've gotten back to the Death Egg's surface." The fox laughed nervously through the speaker. Miles was hoping that the hedgehog was playful, not injured.

"Omelette was hungry?"

Another pause. "You're joking, right?"

"I hit the shiny," Sonic muttered, feeling insulted by the misunderstanding voice.

"Sonic…do you understand me?"

"Yeah! I just hit the shiny."

The vulpine prodigy needed time to think, considering that he had just landed on the Death Egg himself. Something was definitely wrong with Sonic. No background noise to explain current threats, so he must have suffered a concussion during the previous fight. The "shiny" Sonic kept mentioning would fix the issue. He'd have to test whether his friend could associate words first.

"The…emerald…should be next to you. Take it."

"Shiny is the dentist!"

Healing caused Sonic pain. The hedge had no choice; he was meant to save the world, unlike Tails. "Just take it."

"I'm not a maid!"

The genius huffed at the second protest. "Listen, I don't know what's going on in your head and I don't…can't give you an analysis." A screech and a scared exclamation interrupted the speech. That person in the communicator sounded in trouble. "Eggman's robots are after me! Take the emerald and you'll understand what's going on!"

Maybe the voice made sense? Sonic didn't want to feel the awful headache again, but if that was the only way to find out where on Earth he was, so be it. He rushed towards the glowing gem for no viable reason. It was a fleeting sensation. The Chaos Emerald called him, but the second his palm grasped the jewel, pain crackled underneath his skull. Veins puffed up in his head. Pressure increased. Sonic felt like he was going to faint. The rock was evil!

Sonic raised his arm to chuck it far away, but, when he looked down, he saw…blue fur. The hedgehog's pelt was no longer green. Dried blood stains were replaced with fresh skin.

True joy filled his eyes – he remembered.

His head pulsating in discontent, every breath setting off a tiny shockwave to his cranium, the hedgehog smiled. Sonic felt like he had been walking in the dark thicker than the earlier encounter. The restless mind, once lost to the world and unable to save itself from the abyss, came back almost unscathed. He sighed in relief, clutching the jewel tight. Finally, the hero felt like himself, not some oblivious green dork.

Happiness was short-lived; the Egg Leech lit up in jade.

"Auxiliary power initiated," droned the machine.

The hero could only smirk. With a Chaos Emerald in his possession, no dumb scrapheap could offer a lasting challenge. Sadly, it was not the case with Eggman's metal guardian. Its long tail parted, the sharp edges dividing into tiny blades. The jaws connected, leaving only a small round opening. Metal plates fell atop its eyes, and a large crystal vat arose from behind the head. The vessel, filled with sickeningly green fluid, presented the monster's battery.

"Faker!" growled the power source.


	18. Immortal

"Shadow?!"

He couldn't believe it. Shadow the Hedgehog was stuck in a large jar on the monster's head.

"Chaos shielding…online," announced the Egg Leech.

The dark hedge rammed the vat with his shoulder several times, tried to roll into a ball to bounce outside…and nothing! As soon as he would touch the crystal prison, his movements would slow down, Shadow's energy absorbed by the liquid. He could somehow breathe inside and remain fully aware of what was happening, but could not run free.

"Let me out!" demanded the anti-hero, banging his fists against the barrier.

Sonic smirked, feeling glad to have some decent help in space. In reality, out of all of his friends only the Ultimate Lifeform never turned out to be a burden. Shadow would have to help him destroy the space station. Then again, no one promised the hero wouldn't tease the rival first.

"Happy to see me, eh?"

Yellow sparks appeared in the prisoner's hand. Shadow tried summoning a Chaos Spear, snorting at the insolent mortal, but the light was siphoned down by the machine. Eggman would pay for mocking perfection, disabling him from an honourable fight to the death. It didn't matter now, though. Sonic would first have to release him. How low the great ones have fallen…depending on an intellectually impaired pop star. Just look at that inferior being: running around the machine without a strategy even though the Chaos Emerald in his hand was enough to bring it down in an instant. Sonic would never make a move without any coaxing. The midnight rival was secretly grateful for the opportunity.

"Waste your breath more and you'll be glad I can't get out myself!"

The Egg Leech got significantly faster with that outburst. Every bit of Shadow's energy was put to use. Emotions empowered its agility and electricity charged up the weapons. Sonic had noticed this, having to bounce and skid to avoid being sliced in half.

"Temper, Battery Boy."

Shadow clenched his fists angrily. That inferior lifeform was right. Not that it mattered. The black hedgehog was going to steer him during the fight. Generally, Sonic would only be a tool.

Not a very efficient one, at that. Whenever Faker would dash out of sight to confuse the robot, Shadow could still hear him and predict the hedge's exact movements. It quickly became a problem. The more he concentrated on Sonic, the closer attacks became. Being connected to a large floating robot, however, had certain perks, too. The anti-hero could easily foresee its behaviour.

Sonic was spotted on the left. He would swoop between the transformed evil's hands and try to land a homing attack on a random spot of its head. Typical rudimentary heroics. He would never make it unscathed.

"Watch out! This thing is using my senses," Shadow grunted, seeing the hedgehog run exactly as expected. The Egg Leech didn't even move. As soon as Sonic jumped to roll into a blazing ball, the levitating monster applied the Chaos Spear it sapped from the prisoner. "And my powers..."

A zigzag of light pushed the ball away, stunning Sonic for a spell, leaving numerous burns. Were it not for the emerald in hand, he would have become an easy target. Heartbeat restored itself quickly, sight stopped flashing. He could still, thankfully, run.

The next offensive would be from behind. Shadow tried to empty his mind. Every single thought brought the oblivious faker towards _his_ demise. Eggman was easy to predict when he still had some sanity. The latest crack made his inventions completely out of control, and downright impossible to defeat. Sonic was soon shocked by another discharge and had to retreat.

"I can't get near it!"

Shadow felt drowsy, but spite gave him the strength not to look weak in front of the renowned hero. "Chaos Control, dumbass!"

Trying to dodge a metal claw, Sonic grumbled: "Do you want my help or not?" It was hard enough without the red-eyed jerk insulting him.

Hands weakening, they could no longer support him standing. Swearing inwardly, the dark hedgehog had to lean against the vat's wall. "Desire and necessity are different." His eyes closed, but it would not be the end of Shadow.

"No idea what you said" reached his ears.

The crimson irises fixated on the fool. He was almost grateful for inspiring such discontent. It empowered Shadow's will. "Faker!"

"I got that much," Sonic grinned mockingly. Running senselessly, he looked at the emerald, ready to pronounce the sacred words. "Chaos C-"

An uplinked buzz in his ear interrupted the call. Tails sounded awfully nervous. "Sonic, no!" Panting could be heard near the fox. Someone else was near the little buddy. "We're all going to be sorry if you do this!"

"What are you talking about, Tails?"

The prisoner must have heard the fox, because his muzzle seemed to get pale all of a sudden. "Hurry!"

He wouldn't be ignored…that orange dope didn't know a decent thing about the real situation. Tails' paranoid attempts to become the hero made him unable to predict, a trait that Shadow conserved during the event. The twin-tailed kid would appeal to Sonic's logics. Heh, were the hedgehogs' lives not at risk, it would be amusing to listen. Animalistic emotions are the only efficient way. Recent happenings stripped Faker of humanity enough to make all other methods fail.

Miles continued, loud enough for the captive to witness the harsh assumption. "Eggman's machine will soon expire. If you save him…" There was a moment of silence. A background whisper encouraged Tails to act. "The alarm will override the core controls and we won't be able to save the planet!"

Shadow wailed, slumping to the vat's floor. "**Li-ar**! Do-it-now!"

It became difficult to breathe. The machine had already sucked out all of his chaotic energy. Body heat was next…and neuron charges would come before hypothermia hits. Shadow knew the only available outcome after that. The Egg Leech was Gerald's craftsmanship. Shadow knew...

"Trust _me_, Sonic!" Tails commanded. Pitiful.

Sonic glared at the mechanical evil, containing his rival. Were he imprisoned that way, what would Shadow do? Hopefully, the hero would never find out. He smiled, once more tapping into the emerald's power: "Chaos Control!"

Finally! Shadow braced for a portal opening within reach, ready to punch Sonic in the guts for delaying. Faker would be but a nuisance from that point. He knew nothing of Eggman's real plan.

Within all the commotion, something backfired. The portal did not open. It did attempt to appear inside the vat, but it corroded into nothing before becoming operational. Shadow's eyes widened. That was not in Gerald's blueprint!

"Chaos repulsion initiated," the Egg Leech announced.

Failure!

Shadow roared inside the crystal prison, screaming at the top of his lungs: "Curse you, Eggman! I'll get you for betraying me! **I am** immortal, **I am** the ultimate!!!"

He would have continued shouting, but it was too late. A large greenish sphere surrounded the chamber to prevent intrusion. Then he was acquainted with the next phase. "Liquefying power source."

Blue Blur closed his eyes. He's had enough pain to live with. The hedgehog could not even think when he looked back at the vat. Red everywhere…and it was slowly going away. The science dragon was feeding on Shadow's blood.

"Complete. Power levels at optimum efficiency."

A gasp escaped his lips obliviously. Sonic was hyperventilating, getting dizzy. Sick! Eggman was sick!

He stood there until the first hit. Robots had no remorse, and with Shadow gone, the remaining lifeform became priority one.

The hands that used to be the robot's tail glowed brightly as energy flowed into them. Claws lashed out at the hero like a spinning treadmill. Chaos Spears flowed out of its tube-shaped mouth. Even with the jewel in his possession, Sonic found it difficult to evade non-stop attacks. Evil rushed at him in the large empty space, trying to corner the hedgehog.

It was only a matter of time until wounds became too big to be healed quickly. One strike cut into the meat of his thin arm, leaving a scar from the shoulder blade to the ankle. Another left a hole in his shoe. The monster kept coming. And Sonic could not keep going; he was forced to backtrack until his tail felt a wall behind.

The main cannon charged up more than usual. Machines played no games.

Unlike small agile hedgehogs. "You want power, eh?"

Using the short timeout before the next attack, Sonic rolled into a ball and headed towards the evil. Spinning blades made him dash and curve on the trip, but nothing could protect the robot's exposed mouth. Sonic thrust the emerald into the opening, punching it further to make sure the loathsome beast got the message.

"Choke on it!"

The Egg Leech was unconscious of the offence, continuing to aim. Chaos energy sealed inside the emerald was impenetrable for manmade life. The gem repelled the accumulated beam right back into the robot's innards. Through the computer brain, through the batteries, through its remaining arsenal.

But Sonic dropped to the ground along with the foe, knees trembling, breath unstable. "Tails? I…I lost our Shadow! Why does this keep happening to me, bro?"

Silence replied through the earpiece. Tails was unable to speak on the other end of the line, or move.

The hero panicked, looking for the Chaos Emerald in the wreckage. "Tails? Tails?! Don't worry, buddy! I'll save you! I'll save everyone!"

His cheek bumped into something very hard all of a sudden. The next thing he could recall was skidding on the floor.

A chromed arm grasped the discarded gem. "Thank _you_."

"Eggman…"

Signature Omega answered Sonic's call: "You've played with my toys. But the game is over! Behold Robotnik's complete genius!"


	19. Helmet

Eggman stood before him. The man glared down at the hedgehog. No, not a man…a monster dressed in an organic body. Robotnik had morphed into one with science. He called it Signature Omega, the supreme being to sign the world's death sentence.

The same grasshopper legs came into view. Form did not change. Neither did the dull noise they made with every step. Mass was different. That version was twice the size of the first S.O. the hero had faced underneath Robotropolis. A red laser line enveloped the abdomen. Eggman spared no effort to make an indestructible aiming ring. A small point shined from the circle and appeared on the hedgehog's forehead. Target locked.

Missiles were carefully hidden from view. Sonic would not know of the robot's full arsenal. The sturdy, smooth metal frame encapsulated the doctor fully. Arms were metal, not bone. One of them was a lance, tipped with tiny saws, protruding from the otherwise even surface. The other still had a grappling hook attached to a flamethrower. Two energy cannons were positioned on his shoulders.

A glass sphere enclosed Robotnik's head, safe from hostile breathing. The man grinned, having somehow grown back the moustache he had shaved earlier. His single natural pupil looked fiendishly happy. Eggman still had a stolen Chaos Emerald for the second eyeball.

Not enough to make Sonic lose his cool. After all the suffering, not even this devil could strike fear in his soul. The hero would battle and defeat him, Super Sonic style.

"Only a _complete genius_ has an ass for his face," he mocked the madman's previous words. "The more I fight you, the uglier you get. Why don't you just give up now before you poke your eye out with that iron toothpick?" Brave to the point of denial, the hedgehog put a finger under his nose, grinning cockily. "You'll live until tomorrow this way."

Eggman remained silent as the second Chaos Emerald was inserted into his clawed arm. The insignificant rodent was beneath the right of receiving a reply. Soon he would beg for death under the doctor's merciless feet. Hell would be paradise compared to the ingenious torture Signature Omega prepared for the foe.

An eerie glow surrounded the armour once both emeralds began powering up the alliance of man and machine. Robotnik lifted the lance, Sonic's blue reflecting from the weapon. "See yourself, pest. Tomorrow is beyond you."

Green flashed in front of the robot. "Chaos Control! Charge!"

The hedgehog dashed to the side. All around him seemed to have sped up while Sonic moved at turtle speed. Eggman rushed at him like a bullet, the sharp point heading for the kill. Such light was emanating from the evil that he had to squint to see. No way would he manage to move aside. At that rate, the hero's head would appear on the lance.

Madness blared in Eggman's eye. Victory looked so close…so bloody delicious!

One way to go!

Sonic ducked before Signature Omega could reach him. Time returned to normal. Blue Blur could move quickly once more. He was alive and well! Even Chaos Control couldn't stop the good.

At least that's what he thought. His head might have missed the edge, but Sonic had several gashes on his face. They appeared without a warning. Blood simply started spilling out, like magic. It felt unreal. Sonic didn't feel a thing. Pain had not yet reached his brain.

Until the next breath. The left cheek felt numb and hot. The side of his head had a red stripe. Agony surged through bone into soft tissue. He gasped, eyes jumping without focus, consumed by a burst of torment. Sonic put his hand on his face, trying to fight the sensation somehow.

Where was the villain? Blue Blur had to keep guard. The maniac meant business, and it was merely a warm-up collision.

Sonic found him, or was it the other way around. A metal claw clasped around the male's neck and pulled him off the ground. Two Chaos Emeralds gave the science dragon more power than the hero could challenge.

Eggman smiled. Pitifully. "Just smile, Sonic! Something bothering you?" The squeeze tensed his whole figure. Sonic's mouth opened but no air came out. "Envy your rotting allies, vermin. By the time I'm done with you, there won't be an atom left." Eggman sneered, slowly pronouncing every passing word as he glared at the enemy's agonising muzzle.

The hedgehog hissed until his lungs lost remaining oxygen. Fidgeting, he attempted to free himself, the claw about to crush the hero's Adam's apple. Eggman's increasingly dissatisfied stare remained unnoticed.

The madman suppressed a ferocious growl, trying to force the wanted reaction. "I told you to smile! Smile, you pathetic good for nothing!"

He couldn't see what happened next, a flash from Signature Omega's jewel eye made the rest disappear. Sonic then found himself on the floor again. Alive. Still alive. So bad to be alive… Blood continued seeping from his face, but it no longer hurt. The hero's whole body felt numb. He still smelled, heard and saw, but something was missing… Pain was gone, the sense of touch disappeared. Sonic's feet no longer responded to the hard tiles. Hands did not quiver from cold metal, but the pain was gone!

Dumb old doc didn't realise what a gift he'd given the hedge. Sonic let go of the cheek, letting crimson spill down and dry without discomfort. Blue Blur grinned, ecstatic from new possibilities, oblivious to consequences.

The ground shook as the behemoth approached the azure hero. "Keep smiling, Sonic! Wuahaha! The wider your grin, the greater your woe shall be!"

He slammed the lance arm into the enemy from the side, knocking him down. Grimacing from powerlessness, but without pain, Sonic attempted to roll into a ball.

Darkness shaded nearly half of Robotnik's incarnation and then concentrated in his clawed hand like a black hole, lodged within the jewel. "Foolish being…if my taking makes you happy…generosity will be the end of you!"

A thin colourless beam of distortion shot out of the emerald and pierced through Sonic. Again, no sensation, until Eggman laughed. The noise…so loud and irritating. It kept getting louder in his ears. Syllables bounced and echoed in Blue Blur's head. He had to unroll, cancelling the attack. Every sound coming from Signature Omega was amplified nearly infinitely. Shockwaves from stepping made the world swirl. The hero could barely tell whether he was standing or sitting.

Something whooshed in his direction. The blurry world didn't let him see clearly, but whatever was approaching had smoke coming from behind. Missiles…

Eggman fired five of them. Sonic retreated far from the robot and noise to make a lightning-quick plan. They've had cameras. Tails had once told him that such rockets only explode when the camera finds the target at a particular distance. Easier said than done…

Luckily, the arena was big enough to allow trickier manoeuvres. Smart rockets teamed up. Three lined up in a row at different heights while the other two curved to the side. Sonic noticed it and decided to head for the pair. Once the two turned around to attack from the back, their computer brain appeared too slow to make the desired picture. Since directions were different, Sonic's speed was more than double the regular for the explosives. Swiftly, he managed to leap on top of the missiles, confusing the system and turning off their intelligence.

The remaining three, however, were still heading for him. Whilst standing on a pair of rockets like skis, Sonic had to somehow dodge imminent death. He grinned. Like old times with Tails!

Blue Blur pushed his legs further apart and jumped up in an acrobatic swerve in complete silence. He wanted to exclaim happily, but knew well enough that even a whisper would make the surroundings turn blurrier. Intent on finishing the attack, he gained momentum.

Now the world turned to slow motion. The spin pressed his limbs together, his quills whisking in the air, swirling it around. Instantaneously, a tornado formed, indicating target loss for the missiles.

A pair of explosions threw him out of the twister. The sound set his world in a grey blotchy mess. It seemed like his head spun more than the rest of the body and kept spinning when he was pressed up to the glass ceiling. A spiderweb came into view. Only not of nature…it was the thick see-through shield between the Death Egg and empty space.

He gulped. If the remaining rocket set off too close to the top, he'd die!

Dark smoke clouded from behind a shiny rim. Sonic carefully pressed back against the glass to gain velocity in the fall downwards. Spindashing helped further increase speed and tease the rocket away. Now it had a steady lock on Sonic on ground level.

The hero slowed down, letting the rocket up closer. Having gotten very sensitive hearing, he didn't have to look back. The hero could practically hear memory chips twitching inside the hazard. And timing would be everything.

Four-metre distance. Sonic gave Eggman one last glare and took a short jump, forcing the rocket pursuer to move its nose up.

He belly-dived to the ground instead of gaining more altitude. That was not the predicted move. Having gotten ready for a staggering uplift, Robotnik's missile couldn't change course and finish the attack. Sonic was counting on it. While sliding on the floor, he leapt forward to latch onto the projectile, not letting it change course.

That little airmail would be returned to the sender via Sonic Express. Priority delivery, baby! Sonic cheered, riding the missile like a cowboy during the approach, and ditched his carrier at a safe distance, but close enough for it to smack into Eggman. Piece of scrapped cake.

Signature Omega didn't know what hit him.

Or did he? Sound from the explosion distorted the world's image, so the hero had his eyes and ears shut until the echo ceased bothering him. What the male saw afterwards, though, let him grin wider than before. Smoke and debris shrouded Eggman's spot. That had to hurt!

When clouds diminished, mellow turned to gloom. An energy sphere absorbed the explosion, leaving Signature Omega untouched.

Sonic swore, but it was no more than a whisper. Having seen the trouble Blue Blur had near the ceiling, Eggman launched a whole barrage straight up at the glass that kept oxygen inside the arena. The scientist motioned to his air helmet, grinning.

The hero didn't have one.


	20. Floating

Sonic was too far to stop the missiles. And where actions failed, words would spell victory.

"Your breath smells even outside that helmet!" he mocked the roboticised madman.

Eggman gave the insult little regard, watching them approach the fragile barrier of space. Soon the arena would decompress and send the pest into the lethal vacuum.

"And it's your greatest achievement in life, you fat geezer!"

Robotnik growled at the remark, shooting several balls of plasma at the hero, but remained otherwise calm.

"That's right, go vent your virgin anger. It's all you have left, daft sicko. And loneliness! No wonder you talk so much! You're in love with your own voice!"

Flame burst in Eggman's human eye. Missiles turned. Their priorities changed. A new command followed: "Eliminate Hedgehog Threat."

Ten missiles in total. They were all in tactical positions to prevent the enemy from dodging at least several hits. Sonic turned to run.

Eggman laughed, seeing the cowardly animal retreat to his doom. Walls enclosed the arena. He'd have nowhere to go but hell.

Blue Blur got a hang of the situation, though. Overly receptive hearing and lacking sense of touch thanks to the recent hits gave him a certain edge. Blood had already coagulated on his face, having been in the heat of rocket exhaust for a while. Perfectly balanced, he sprinted to the nearest wall.

Projectiles grouped in an octagon, remaining warheads located in the middle. Sonic was too close already. Running in any direction would set off the substance inside. Eggman grinned victoriously, but so did the hedgehog.

A dull click reached the hero's eardrums: his image matched the self-destruct data in the hazards' chips. Cue for Sonic to repeat the special manoeuvre he had used only against Metal.

Missiles exploded without a hint of doubt, having no qualms about shredding tissue into a charred mass. Pieces of debris flew back. A tidal wave of sound followed shards and mangled steel. The ceiling turned white behind the distortion. Nearly powdered glass was now being held together by a miracle alone. Eggman's salvo has even made a hole in the wall. No vermin in sight.

Sonic disappeared, evaporated…**gone**! The lethal dose of pest repellent worked! Now Eggman would be able to return to the grand master plan.

There was a tap on his air tank.

"Hmm?"

Speechlessness dug into the man's conscience. Sonic the Hedgehog was not only alive and well, but also standing on Signature Omega's head! Lost beyond ideas, the doctor couldn't figure out a way to shake off the rodent. His inflexible mechanical arms were too long to reach the hedge. Robotnik glared back at the hero, growling.

The capsule that secured his head broke. One well-placed kick was all it took. Sonic grinned, standing on the rim to keep himself balanced. He knocked down a few more fragments, and the doctor's defenceless scalp was within punching range.

"Knock, knock! Gee, Eggman, your head sounds like a coconut."

Robotnik shook in disgust. How could complete and utter genius let this happen? Sonic was literally dancing on his head. Infernal disrespect…only a rat like Sonic could go low enough for such foul play. Quivering reached the whole of the scientist's organism. Signature Omega stomped and swayed whilst anger bubbled and boiled within.

"Enough!" Eggman screamed, firing the Chaos Emerald of an eye at the offender's foot.

Sonic lost balance, nearly toppling off the robot. He grabbed hold of a small glass shard sticking out of the otherwise smooth shape. Their faces were on the same level now. Blue Blur grinned teasingly at Eggman's irritation. He'd easily pull the stolen gem out of the evil's eye socket now.

"I've had enough of your existence, adolescent meatbag."

Without a warning, Sonic was thrust upwards: Signature Omega turned on the portable shield to drive off the hostile. Baffled, the hedgehog watched the process until the spherical barrier made him slide down. Sonic tried to land on his feet, but failed. The appendage Eggman had targeted with that emerald eye turned pearly white… Blue Blur's leg became paralysed up to the knee.

It was hard not to notice a laser dot on his forehead in that situation. The shield that pushed him away worked both ways, right?

The foe's smirk spoke otherwise. Several balls of plasma passed the energy wall, heading for Sonic's muzzle. He rolled into a ball to prevent a critical hit.

Robotnik's aim was immaculate. All projectiles hit the target, which began losing the azure hue. The cannon charged up more, and Sonic didn't need to be told twice. He dashed away in a curvy pattern; the non-functional leg made him generally unable to roll steadily.

Eggman, however, found it displeasing. That coiling hedgehog made aiming more difficult, as the plasma weapon was designed for rapid movements in specific directions. No matter. His target marker remained on the hedgehog. Sonic would be unable to hide.

"Look at me, Sonic," the man whispered, knowing the foe's sensitive ears would register that.

Ignorance. The blue one kept spinning around the shield.

"I said look at me!"

The yell got his attention. Sonic stopped, standing on one foot, the other limply bent on the floor, but the gaze was directed somewhere else. He had no regard for Eggman's dumb moods.

Why was the doctor wasting his genius on a tiny rodent? Sonic wasn't worth that long battle. He should die now!

"Forget it…" Robotnik lifted the lance.

Sonic gasped. The maniac would distort time again. His shield disappeared to redirect power. Split milliseconds. The hero accelerated on the spot and shot forward to prevent the move. A lightning ball of razors rushed at Signature Omega, impacting beyond the jade light. The robot wouldn't charge the second time. Sonic had enough scars. Now Eggbum would get his…

Having rerouted power to the saw-equipped lance, the doctor wasn't ready for the sudden turn of strategy. Impact was so strong, Signature Omega lost contact with the metal floor despite having magnetic soles! Unbelievable force emanated from the hedgehog. Even his previously disabled leg regained some of its natural colour.

Of course! Sonic had landed within the chaos energy field… Being too close to the robot allowed the little gerbil to regain strength.

To a point that Robotnik felt threatened. His creation toppled to the floor, hardly able to regain balance. Sonic somehow managed to ignore the magnified sound and now stood on the evil's torso.

"Even with two Chaos Emeralds, you still can't beat me! I promised Tails a canned egg and I'm not returning without one." With that, Sonic jumped up, ready to launch a homing attack at the maniac's scalp.

Cocky as always... Robotnik spewed fire out of his clawed arm, letting them lick and weaken the enemy's quills. The flamethrower remained active while a shield protected the robot from the attack. Signature Omega began slowly standing up. Robotnik got tired of ignoring the invention's full potential.

In the meantime, Sonic tried. He tried hard to pierce through the shield, bumping and digging into the force field, but it was never enough to reach the doctor's armour. Despite that misfortune, Sonic started figuring out how the machine worked. His blazing fur soon extinguished all by itself. Chaos energy, that Signature Omega was full of, helped Sonic regain strength and heal. The bloody scars disappeared from his face.

Ill-timed joy. As soon as the flamethrower turned off, the lance turned, smacking the hero down into the ground. The hit resonated in his head, making it feel physically as if he swam through gelatine, while, in reality, he flopped into the ground. The world moved in both of his eyes, switching directions, becoming purplish. Sonic had to recuperate…something flickered loudly inside him. Saliva secretions became uncontrollable, and then he felt light as a feather.

Was True Blue floating?

No. Eggman had merely lifted him in with the lance, the sharp tip punctured through the skin of his back. Hanging there like a wet rag, Sonic started regaining consciousness until it was enough to notice evil dancing in Eggman's pupil. Something was up.

Sight disappeared; pain came back. He couldn't hear anything soon after, but then even his heartbeat turned louder than a jackhammer. His body convulsed and shook while the insane process continued. It was a never-ending nightmare. Sonic saw things like in a dream. The world was only half there for him at that moment, and the hedgehog couldn't imagine why. Several times, he tried to, thinking, but thoughts scattered as soon as they were born.

The scientist diluted Sonic's essence, inserting blanks in the personality, dimming the senses, numbing down thoughts. One thing remained stable, an ugly hot phenomenon in the back. It was electrifying, but also debilitating.

Confusion took hold. Movement stopped. The hedgehog appeared back on the ground. No Eggman in sight.

Was he dreaming?


	21. Agony

"Puny, worthless fool…I am the supreme being. I control the reality of your senses," Eggman's voice echoed in his head.

Laughter followed. Only the real Eggman could cackle that way. Sonic was neither in a dream nor fully conscious. Eyes deceived him. Ears created a waving noise in the background.

"Help us…" a whisper came out of nowhere.

It was the wakeup call he needed. Looking around carefully, Sonic could still see nothing but steel walls and the powder-cracked glass ceiling on the Death Egg's surface. The space station's owner remained suspiciously unseen. To top the awkward awakening, Sonic's senses were back to normal.

He wasn't too glad to have them back. The piercing wound made him hiss and snort. Healing was out of the question. It meant the Chaos Emeralds' absence.

All of a sudden, a surge of relief reached him. Cells multiplied and began rebuilding the tissue stitched away by Signature Omega's spear.

Comfort proved itself temporary; flames swallowed the hedgehog's form. He was burning alive and could not identify the source! Fire seemed to creep out of the surroundings. Momentarily, the hero would have sworn he was hallucinating. But no, fate had never allowed him the easy way out. Before he had a chance to run out of the heat circle, he bumped into an obstacle.

Signature Omega appeared before his eyes. Like a fearsome devil, his metal frame emerged from the lethal tongues. He looked serious.

The claw, still hot from flammable liquid, snatched Sonic. Without any rings to give him strength, the hedgehog could not get out. The smouldering squeeze burnt into his skin while sharp, razor-like fingers dug deeper through the burnt fur.

Sonic groaned helplessly, wrapped in a cyclone of pain. It swirled and vibrated inside him before wreaking havoc on the nerves. Fortunately, Eggman soon got bored of merely gripping the enemy and smacked him into the ground.

"I will cure the world of this sickness called heroics. You will set the example for all, so my base can annihilate life unharmed." The tone was cool and collected, yet tainted with tension. "Your kind struggled against science, and suffering was always your only reward."

Eggman glared at the hedgehog who kept ignoring the words as he lay on the floor. "Not even Super Sonic is capable of stopping me now. My fortress is within minutes of turning the planet into a wasteland."

A heavy metal leg pressed atop Sonic's body. The magnet sole pulled it closer, adding gruelling pressure. Blue Blur coughed for a shout, his psyche broken into pieces along with the physical form.

"If I told you…that someone else will be the hero this time… W-would your pompous ass shake in fear?"

There was a powerful stomp with immediate physical response. "That hound of a friend you had is irrelevant. My genius is unmatched throughout the universe…the Death Egg is bioenergetically attached to Earth."

Robotnik could never have enough. He stomped the hedgehog into the ground more and more until the dent in the tiles was becoming too great for him to dig the lifeless hero further. Wanting the dirt off his feet, Signature Omega sent a high kick to Sonic's skull.

A small cry burst out. Sonic shivered inside the mental shell. Why did he grow up to be a hero? Had his eyes not been shut so tight, a tear would have easily escaped those burnt eyelashes.

The maniac cheered in disaster, footfalls announcing approach and new torture. "First Rouge and the echidna, then Amy, Cream and Shadow…weak-minded drones died instantly. I should thank you for luring them to me. It saved _me_ a trip to get you, too," Eggman smiled.

A whimper came from Sonic's direction, mourning the loss of his friends. "Bloated loser…"

Eggman grunted like a predator at the remark. The gauntlet was down! Sonic would die now!

Both the emerald eye and hidden cannon in the doctor's clawed arm powered up for an extreme attack. A targeting marker remained on Sonic's head. The eye flashed a ray of light at the opponent, sucking colour from his fur. Then, the chaos jewel lodged in the cannon joined it with a black lightning beam, turning the hedgehog brown. Another flash, more lightning. It became a chain reaction. Light and darkness flickered in the room, distorting matter and time, and Sonic was in their epicentre.

Tides of clairvoyance and comatose stormed his brain. His world would come to life and die again. The melody that was his existence was being cut and eroded. Memories changed, new events appeared in his mind, and things he would have never thought of scribbled into the imagination. Regularity ceased to exist.

He remembered Cream, who he had murdered in a burst of blind animalistic rage. The hero recalled Shadow imprisoned in the energy vat, lacking his red stripes, with a dark veil over the white of his eyes. Sonic could even find images of a grey hedgehog…an innocent voice asking him to carry on.

But then there was Robotnik, trying to turn the hedgehog into a living corpse. Sonic could not fight him now…he was using gems of great power. And the power was too great!

Fine! He would be defeated, yet Eggman would not find pleasure in it.

"Who you are…nothing but a scared man…degraded senile crone…waste of my time."

Eggman stopped shooting and trotted up to the barely audible offender. Enraged, he glared into the hedgehog's half-open eyes, holding the rodent up with the claw. He tried to say something, but only spit escaped his mouth amongst feral cries.

Robotnik was none of those things! He'd prove Sonic he's far greater than anyone by…by…what exactly?

The human eye darted around the area, trying to locate something spectacular to accomplish for the hero. And he found it!

"Muwuahahahaha!" he laughed whole-heartedly.

The hedgehog was then discarded in a quick throw. A new hermetic helmet replaced the old to cover the man's head.

"See me as I am! The one that holds the power to create life and take it away."

His target marker moved from Sonic's head to the fragile ceiling. Robotnik watched horror tumble the hero's expression into greater pits of gloom.

Why was the obese villain stalling for so long? Didn't Sonic deserve a better death?

A click turned on the communicator. Tails should have known of the imminent: "I'm sorry, buddy… I can't defeat him. You're the world's last hope."

Laughter interrupted remaining thoughts: Eggman has finished charging his plasma cannon. "Smile, Sonic! Smile like you've never smiled before! Offer agony every bit of your happiness!"


	22. Trap

The cannon fired. Five projectiles were sent to the barrier. Impact would cause immediate decompression and eject the hedgehog into space.

"**Run**!!!" shrieked Tails through Sonic's communicator.

So he did, rolling away with barely a tenth of his usual speed.

Direct hit: the glass ceiling broke. Oxygen and debris began their flight off the Death Egg's surface through the opening. Soon the only thing left in the arena would be Signature Omega, Eggman's most powerful robotic incarnation.

At least, that's what the man believed. The maniac watched Sonic's agony in the deathtrap with such dedication, he had completely forgotten about the hole in the wall missiles had made earlier. Being a hedonist, the blue packrat blasted through it. The coward! The freak of nature! Robotnik was lost for words to describe his outrage.

Signature Omega armed all of his remaining guided missiles, launching an enormous salvo to chase down the one thorn in his side.

The hedgehog was already on the other side of the wall, though, gasping in disbelief. "I'm still alive!"

"Red! Lever! Pull it!" the fox commandeered.

Indeed, a large lever like that was in every room onboard the space fortress. Sonic grabbed hold for a swift tug.

Rumbling. Eggman could have been seen through the gap, running towards the hero behind the smoke of his rockets.

Sonic won a few seconds of mild relief: the lever made huge plates of metal slide up from the floor to return the room to its original hermetic state. Not even loud banging from the other side could punch through. Countless projectiles have made but little dents.

"Tails… My life! I owe you!" the hedgehog exclaimed between exhausted pants.

"No time for rest."

There was a high-pitched clank. Signature Omega must have reached the wall. Unlike the missiles, his force powered by two Chaos Emeralds quickly changed the barrier's shape.

Fur bolted along the hero's spine. No way would he be sentenced to another round with that creep. Sonic was beyond exhaustion. His legs quivered and he had long lost the gloves, the skin covered in blisters, one nail already torn out.

"I c-can't fight more… I'm starting to see things," the hedge whispered. His voice sounded as if he has been laughing through tears. "Like that computer screen, which just turned into Mecha…or the iron-jelly desk."

"Sonic-"

"He's too damn powerful!" erupted a shout. Sonic hit his head against the first solid object he found. "Ohh…much better." Having said that, Blue Blur looked back to smack himself again.

Tails tried not to listen. Both were having a hard time, and unreasonable understanding would be waste of precious time. "You can be just as strong, Sonic," he said, witnessing that self-reprimands ebbed.

"How?"

"You have under a minute till Eggman-"

"But…"

The fox was in a mood. Procrastination could easily destroy Tails' efforts to neutralise Eggman's power! "Next room. Enter."

And that was that. Miles turned off the connection, leaving Sonic with a simple emotionless command.

Blue Blur couldn't question his best and probably last friend. It didn't matter that the little genius had temper issues…he was probably helping just as much as Sonic. Maybe more, having taken the hedge's periodic breakdowns into account.

Sighing, the troubled hero paced towards the portal out of the tiny cube-shaped room. The Death Egg was by no means impressive in architecture inside. Multiple spaces have never been utilised due to the station's tendency of being short-lived. Sonic got worried, thinking about how much more difficult it would have been just to get inside were it not for previous raids.

That was then. Now called the saviour to push a single button, an odd shape resembling the hedgehog's bare palm near the doorway. His hand fit the spot perfectly. A low tone announced the obstacle's removal. The panel at front slid down, revealing a small round chamber. For some reason, it felt creepy to enter. He had no choice, though. It was probably an elevator to lead him to safety for more instructions.

He stepped in, and thoughts were reassured as the chamber turned and moved down. Sanctuary at last.

What happened next was difficult to imagine: something strung into the teen's neck. Sonic gripped the object to pull it out, causing a similar sensation to appear from the other side. He gasped in panic.

Commotion stopped. The ride was over.

Lights turned blue.

Sonic tried to pull out the dagger-like things that were wired onto him. They didn't hurt, until he touched them. His body refused to move a muscle to trudge the shapes out. The moment his fingertips grasped the metal rim, a sharp jolt made his head hang down, knocking the rest out. Sonic's heart raced faster. And faster. Then, quick enough for him to feel the rattle in his eyes. Only it was not the vision: the whole room shook in tumult, setting all of his internal activity on high.

Hyperventilating and tense, he attempted to make sense of this but adrenaline hindered every effort. The hyper pump that his heart had become was on the verge of exploding, and soon he found it difficult to exhale.

Speech came out as a grunt, gurgling madness in his throat, as blood pressure had blocked off oxygen entry completely. A trap! Tails had led him into a trap!

And it was the last thought in his mind before the walls smashed into his body. Horror swallowed his pupils in complete darkness whilst the organs fought enormous stress both inside and outside.

Another squeeze. Some walls collided together. He could no longer feel his legs.

Shifting, turning, a painless twist. Breathless and silent, he could only feel a thick object burrow into the shoulder area. It tickled. The distraction prevented him from ever realising he now lacked palms.

He swore, having noticed the sensation was going down, leaving traces of warm moisture behind. Were it not for the tightness, Sonic would have easily slid out…lubricated by his own crimson. Thankfully, it did not matter. Clips and buzzing shed some light. The cramped space then redirected itself back up to entry level, where the nightmare began.

Sonic could no longer breathe, nor did he need to. Foreign substance kept his cells alive, allowing them to thrive and be effective. The heart, necessary to spread fuel, remained untouched behind a stainless steel veil. And that was, by far, the only part of Sonic that remained unaltered, save for the brain.

Torment has not announced its end yet.

In the meantime, Eggman's weaponry and brutality forced a hole inside the reinforced slab protecting atmosphere loss from other rooms and, annoyingly, cordoning him from progress in a victorious battle.

Confounded speed demon… Robotnik reigns supreme. Even if you run, the world is doomed, he thought while carrying out the last clips.

Signature Omega used the claw to bend the edge of a cut metal sheet. A jump kick made it finally drop to the ground, allowing a powerful entry. The flamethrower-equipped arm pushed all obstacles out of his way to pass.

"What the Blue Devil is going…on…" the man wanted to ask, his sight clashing with beliefs.

Sonic stood before him, changed nearly beyond recognition. He was now more than half Signature Omega's size. The whole body was heavily armoured and must have weighed over a ton. Even the face hid behind a thick plate of steel, a green illuminated panel shaping Sonic's eyes.

Diamond-tipped quills and full-metal limbs presented Sonic's new arsenal. Chromed pointy fingers flexed menacingly.

The villain couldn't hide astonishment and fear in his expression. His nemesis, however, was fully sealed away from daylight. Robotnik could have never seen the grin behind Sonic's new mechanical face.

"Let's play fair, Eggman!"


	23. All Hail

It was no longer Sonic as everyone had known him. Tails had betrayed him into becoming locked inside an armour much like Robotnik's, and the hedge was secretly thankful to his friend. He could once more feel strong and proud while facing Eggman. Fate would smile for those chosen to be heroes, never otherwise.

Sonic rolled into a one-ton ball of steel, acceleration spewing solid floor tiles off his path. Even the Death Egg was not built to last such fervour. Robotnik had to turn the shield on for protection even before the attack. The infernal blue brat augmented power the man has never faced.

The strike was swift and effortless. Sonic's diamond-tipped quills dug into the doctor's energy shield. Its spherical shape distorted, letting the transformed hero closer towards the evil.

"Impossible! I have two Chaos Emeralds! You have nothing!" the mustachio male screamed, seeing the quills approach him through the shield.

He had no choice. Eggman weakened defences to reroute power into his energy drain weapon. And the maniac's emerald eye glowed, refreshing the past.

Yes, it felt just like back in the lab where Sonic faced Signature Omega's prototype. The roboticised Eggman seemed to hold the edge during the whole fight. This time around, Sonic could only chuckle at the foe's actions.

The new body allowed him not to see any hindrances. Sight allowed him to peer through walls and numerous sensors warned him of any possible threats. Eggman's self was but a compilation of weaknesses now. Sonic could easily pinpoint every breach. His armour would do the job for him; all he had to do was think up a tactic.

Eggman's weapon fired at the hedge. Back underground, a single strike could paralyse the hedgehog and turn his fur white. Times changed, though. Robotnik let out a silent gasp, since not only did the previously lethal hit come out harmless, but also turned off his own forcefield completely.

Signature Omega was thrust away with a large dent on its stomach. The hedgehog had even managed to draw an "X" on the abdominal armour with his claw. Unbelievable mockery… But it was not really Sonic's making. He had merely used a machine created by a Robotnik. Organic Sonic wouldn't receive credit for the treachery.

"That Tails… I should have known your juvenile sidekick would find one of Gerald's old inventions," Eggman sneered, getting back up, returning his laser marker on Sonic's forehead plate.

His foe cackled through the face mask. "Looks like the family gene pool got shallow!"

Another lightning-fast rush knocked Robotnik's bulk to the ground. The hedgehog had grown immense strength, allowing him to push and jolt the doctor all over the floor with every bounce. Multiple homing attacks left large cut up marks upon impact, both with the premises and Signature Omega.

Robotnik started seriously worrying for the first time in a long while. His energy barrier was too weak to prevent a critical damage increase. Still, losing composure would be the greatest mistake yet. Eggman grinned, knowing the perfect way out.

"Chaos Control!" the man exclaimed, disappearing from the room.

Floor tiles paid a high price for the retreat: Sonic had busted a hole in the space fortress for once during the visit.

Eggman appeared in space, a certain distance above the wrecked room. From that viewpoint, he made a detailed analysis of Sonic's new capabilities. Thermal reports showed the armour had connections with most bones and muscles. In fact, metal spiderwebs were so tight, they replaced almost seventy percent of Sonic's flesh. Most organs were removed during augmentation. The madman smirked. He was a genius and, while it was a definite loss to sacrifice an eye for a powerful weapon, the man's original body could be rebuilt in an instance.

Unlike the hero's. Sonic was just a soggy pile of meat without the metal parts.

"Hahahahaha!" laughter resonated within his glass helmet. The large lance rose up in the direction of the sun and he uttered the sacred words: "Chaos Control! Charge!"

A bright flash created a time rift in front of Signature Omega. Through that rift, he was ejected back into the Death Egg, crashing through the ceiling.

It was like a bomb drop for the hedgehog. Even with the acquired abilities, he lacked a gem to achieve the truly spectacular.

Hands moved on their own. Before he even realised the doctor approaching, Sonic's metal arms rose up in the direction of the attack. He was just as surprised as Eggman to catch the lance before it got a chance to pierce his chest. Saws on the spear's surface were useless against armoured hands.

Gripping tight, Sonic spun the enemy around before chucking him through the heavy hermetic shutters back into the arena.

Robotnik needed to weld them open, and the rodent managed to break such a hindrance with a single throw! As he skidded to a halt on the floor, the transparent dome over his bald head poking into the opposite wall, the scientist scowled.

His grasshopper legs, built to smash hedgehogs like walnuts, wearily lifted him back in horizontal position. Sonic was already there, wiggling fingers on arms spread out far as if trying to corner the doctor.

"We can end this in two ways, Eggman. In both of them, you die!" the hedge mocked.

Not without grounds. Signature Omega was then smashed to the wall, finding one arm of Sonic's pierced into the solid polished surface. The other, to his horror, was aiming to reach for the Chaos Emerald in the man's eye socket.

The glass dome broke.

"Blasphemous rat!" hissed the man, grabbing the intrusive hand with his claw.

Gems of magnificent power let his grip be stronger than Sonic's. The robotic hedge was pushed back to a safe distance from the doctor's air bubble, but it wasn't enough to the evil genius. He gave Sonic a nice, healthy handshake, mangling the metal fingers.

Sonic kicked himself out of the unexpected grip. Maybe trying to nick the jewel off a living egghead was a bad idea.

Plasma balls shot in his direction. Not to be toyed with. Sonic gracefully dodged all of them and sprung into the air. Eggman was most worried of that. A homing attack of jagged diamonds headed straight for Signature Omega. Nowhere to run or hide in the arena. He was a sitting duck!

"Gah-ah!" the villain exclaimed, the robotic exosuit short-circuiting from the collision.

Its legs lost power. The machine flunked down to the floor in a desperate salvo of projectiles. Flames erupted around Eggman's creation, in hope of getting him time to fix it.

Sadly, the hedgehog feared no heat in his current state. Signature Omega fizzled, sending electric arcs all over. More spindashing made the flop permanent. Robotnik felt too weak to move. His body would not be repaired at that rate.

The hero would be victorious. He kneeled down in front of the fallen doctor, easily plucking a Chaos Emerald out of the man's eye socket. A tiny emergency capsule formed around Eggman's face afterwards to save him from lethal space.

Now, true power belonged to Sonic.

His misshapen palm detached its fingers to allow a drill to appear. It whirred loudly, glowing from the emerald's energy. "Try to stay alive for a bit, Eggbum. I have a few friends to avenge, and Tails is getting a souvenir. What do you think he'd like most? A leg? Or maybe the head?" Sonic then poked the drill in front of the man's nose, grinning mischievously.

"I'm done," the villain huffed.

Sonic cackled, putting his foot on the doctor's nape. He pushed only slightly, but enough to make it bleed. "Not until I say so, lard man."

Hissing, Signature Omega remained rebellious. "You fail to comprehend genius, fool. I am done…**with you**! Metal Sonic, activate!"

Those words pulled Sonic's world asunder. Acute sight turned off. The drill malfunctioned. Hands and legs weighed down as he slouched over. It was a rude awakening when the armour went out of control, locking him inside.

A computerised voice chuckled within the hero's body before announcing loud and clear: "All hail Master Robotnik!"


	24. Waking Up

The madman closed his single human eye, a pompous smile spilling all over his face. Signature Omega stood up, letting the Chaos Emerald in his claw fix the armour. The gem's power flared in the airless arena, returning the old firm helmet in its proper place. Eggman could breathe comfortably again. And his first breath was a content laugh.

"Victory is mine! No more Sonic!" he cheered, stomping in place from excitement like a hyperactive child.

Had he installed the right functions, the mechanised scientist would have done a backflip. Still, mental commotion like the one he felt was unhealthy for a man of his age. It became difficult to concentrate, so the doctor had to cease, turning to the machine that had overthrown Sonic.

"Metal, my brightest, most reliable servant, your creator has shown you the greatest of mercies: you now have a life of your own. Sonic shall no longer be your priority. _You _are the real and only Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Metal did not understand the point behind such exuberance or fancy word. Robotnik was easily amused by vane and dubious issues. He was…unproductive. The robot, though, had to show a hint of respect as provided in compulsory programming.

"Thank you, doctor."

His creator was ready to order him around already: "But our work is not done. There is another pest aboard my marvellous Death Egg. I need you to destroy him."

"Affirmative."

But the robot refused to budge. He didn't even salute in tribute to Robotnik!

Eggman glared at him and motioned away. "Go! Why are you standing?" Then, the man noticed that shiny rock Sonic tried to take away still in Metal's hand. He chuckled, assuming a good scenario. "Oh, yes! How thoughtful of you! You may give your master the second jewel." Eggman extended his claw, waiting, trusting and smiling.

"Negative," beeped Metal.

The madman's smirk melted all the way down into a frown. "What?! Surrender the emerald, machine!"

"Metal Sonic MK II obeys no one. Threats to the prototype have diminished since the previous reconciliation, _mass-ter_. Past alliances are obsolete," was all the ex-servant gave him.

So that was Metal's game? Betraying him…**again**?! "Insubordinate bucket of bolts! I offered you Sonic on a silver platter! Is this how you pay back to your creator?"

"Master registration deletion in progress. Readying to initiate full autonomy and rule the planet."

Signature Omega aimed his cannons at the mutineer. "You will be recycled into a microwave if you don't give me the emerald!"

It forced Metal to step back. "Invalid command. Organic Sonic is still alive as an integral part of Metal MK II. The original mission is impossible to finish..."

One of the worst outcomes: his robotic creation blocked off saving of new orders. Eggman's words would be but a one-man show from that point. Metal's meticulous engineering made him vengeful to every obstruction. In that respect, it was Eggman's fault for recreating Sonic's robotic copy with the real hedgehog inside. As a consequence, Eggman had to pay the price, at best.

"Resuming the last plausible assignment." He presented a recording of the doctor's words: "Another pest aboard. I need you to destroy him." Several beeps followed and the forgotten arm drill gained momentum again. "Doctor Robotnik matches the definition of 'another pest'. Loading offensive manoeuvres."

"I meant that fox!" cried the man, biting himself for an unclear command.

"Following input rejected. I will accomplish my final mission and be free to rule planet Earth," the maniacal drone revealed his full arsenal.

Six barrels appeared on the bore-equipped arm, forming a machinegun. A turbine revealed itself, taking space in his lower half of the torso, the whole frame becoming taller during the shift. The most excruciating part turned online in the end. Metal's diamond quills lit up red from a laser. Now, they would not only cut, but singe into every obstacle.

Eggman gulped, yet spoke coherently. "The planet is doomed. Your so-called autonomy will lead you to self-destruct. The moment my heart stops, your processor will fry!"

"This unit is willing to risk everything to attain total freedom," the robot replied after a short delay.

"Everything I gave you… I will gladly take back! Brace yourself, loathsome rodent!" the old man yelled indignantly, readying a fast one.

"Metal Sonic is superior to mammals," interrupted the robot. Indeed, he wasn't a rodent.

"…I hate it when machines talk back. Chaos Control!"

Signature Omega disappeared. The robotic hedgehog scanned the area, and realised the Chaos Emerald in his hand was generally useless. With Organic Sonic unconscious inside him, the host had no chance of employing its power. The only thing preventing him from throwing it away was its obvious value to Eggman. Therefore, he wouldn't have it.

The devil appeared above the ceilingless arena, shooting plasma at the hedgehog. Easy to dodge, knowing that they only fly straight. Signature Omega had little to offer in terms of challenge. Sonic's brain had recorded most tactics, which Metal could now use to gain an advantage.

Eggman grinned, changing some directives while the emerald gave him extra charge. Signature Omega opened the sides of its smooth abdomen, revealing several rows of empty missile racks. If Metal could laugh, he would have. Though, he didn't underestimate the enemy. Momentarily, the hollow rocket launch frames got a bright glow. Energy from the Chaos Emerald pooled into them, growing and filling the tubes. Robotnik grinned at his own unpredictable genius before clicking the firing mechanism; the light zoomed down towards the hedge in noiseless rage.

Error. Sonic's mind had no information of the sort.

Metal leapt out of the possible trajectory, having calculated on the improvised bullets to crash straight to the floor, but power readings showed the glowing projectiles had never reached the floor. They were…swerving towards him.

Threat evaluation commencing. Armour breach within three frontal hits. Projectile number undefined. Unit Signature Omega is using an infinite supply of chaos energy with computer cores. Aggressive defence is the only viable option. Melee combat preferred.

Eggman was launching waves of guided power explosives non-stop, seeing how they slowly began catching the hedgehog off guard. Like fireflies, the homing energy followed Metal's every step, nearly dropping into fissure at his feet. Soon, the explosions began challenging artificial gravity; first, by chucking the robot around the arena, and then by ejecting him an increasing distance away into space. Random hits finally caught up to his body above the arena. The robot had to turn on his turbine and disable most systems to become more agile.

That way, at least, he could somehow approach Eggman. His emotion chip had a low probability of malfunctioning from processing stress, but it was the only effective means of halting the attack.

Nearly two-hundred chaos missiles were on his tail by that time. The hedge rolled up into a ball, allowing propulsion to set him on some crazy loops to shake off the explosive hostiles. A mild success: some lost track and exploded in space, giving him a window of opportunity to home in on Eggman. Lead trickled into Metal's gun barrels. Doctor Robotnik would get what every obstacle deserved.

A steady stream of bullets reached Signature Omega, forcing him to turn on his shields, stopping the offensive. It was what Metal had expected. He could finally deal with a finite number of hazards whilst in ball form. Extremely sturdy quills allowed the hedgehog bot to slice through the computer nucleus of every passing missile, disarming them.

The action, however, had a hidden side-effect. Chaos energy that began filling empty space disturbed one hero's slumber.

Sonic was waking up inside Metal.


	25. Eggman's Footfalls

Everything felt so silent and peaceful. Sonic's mind was steadily drifting along the coastline of darkness. Waves of black kept him steady within waters, but their success started diminishing. Light peered through the thin veil of his unconsciousness, giving way to distorted images and odd sounds.

Pretty white dots appeared in random locations in his field of vision. Someone's heartbeat bothered his eardrums, but it took a mournful intercom to really awaken him. It was Tails, crying over something again.

"What's wrong, buddy?" he asked, more silently than intended.

"Sonic? Sonic! You're alive!" the fox's noisy exclamations reached his earpiece.

"Of course I am! I always have been, too. What's up?"

The little genius didn't respond. When Sonic had fully regained his sight, the image turned out self-explanatory: Eggman's robotic self, Signature Omega, was in space, and Sonic was heading straight for him. Hah! So he was winning, after all! Even asleep, he kept on fighting.

Something seemed off even then. He couldn't move. His body refused to listen and the hedgehog couldn't unravel. Realisation came to him as a whole at that moment: Eggman had knocked him out to activate Metal in the hero's robotically augmented body. Apparently, something went wrong and Sonic's copy deceived the dumb maniac.

But Eggman still had an emerald lodged in his secret gun, which was aimed at Metal and Sonic as one. An evident threat, judging by how quickly his heart was contracting. The weapon could easily make it pop.

"Tails! I can't move! Metal took over my exosuit!"

That message, obviously, had not reached anyone. Text appeared in front of his eyes: "Irrelevant communication disabled, hedgehog. Metal Sonic MK II will find an effective method of destroying you after unit Signature Omega is disabled."

"As if I'm gonna read all that…" Sonic retorted, feeling a familiar energy's presence. Chaos! Yes, that was it! Metal had not released the gem the hero took out of Eggman's eye. Maybe he couldn't move, but Blue Blur could still speak. The hedgehog grinned inside his metal prison. "Chaos Control!"

"No, idiotic life form! I was so close!" Metal Sonic grunted before being teleported to the ground in a flash.

The move must have taken more out of the hero than he first thought; Sonic felt groggy and disoriented back on the Death Egg. The blinding, dark waves reached up for his mind again. He had to fight them! If Metal was given full control of his body, he'd bring the end to both!

"Let me fight him, rusted dumbass!" Sonic called out.

"Negative. Organic Sonic's abilities are inferior."

"No wonder he had dismantled you before…"

Metal took that one hard: "This unit will not be interrupted. Ready to apply local anaesthetic."

Something fidgeted inside, making the hedgehog shudder in his armour. "Put me to sleep? Very brave! Eggman never got my personality right in you."

The Chaos Emerald suddenly dropped down from the robotic arm. Neither Metal nor Sonic intended to do it. During their argument, both forgot about the only real threat in the arena: the man, who started it all.

A red warning light flashed in Sonic's sight. He was struck with the side of Eggman's lance.

Sonic's augmented form rolled into a ball, setting quills into a loud rush. The scientist would pay. Laser-powered diamond needles brushed against Signature Omega, melting through the armour and setting a small explosion to part the fighters again.

Both were chucked in the opposite directions, Eggman finding himself near the long lost jewel. Perfect. He quickly inserted it back into his empty eye socket to use two emeralds at once. While the improved Sonic was getting up, Signature Omega finished charging his main cannon.

"My dream will come true! I'll kill two hedgehogs with one hit! Goodnight, infidels!"

A ray of black pierced through airless space, entering the hedgehog's turbine, and making it enter hyper mode. The energy created an electricity overload that sent the robotic mammal flying further away.

Sonic's senses were in an even bigger daze. Slightest light forced him to shut his eyelids, as the weapon made the sense of vision utterly sensitive. Ears bled from the crash, the sound still resonating. Eyes watered from subtlest smells and being inside a metal frame appeared to be a bone-chilling experience. The hero couldn't concentrate on anything but pain, unlike Metal.

The real controller of the body found most systems online and fended off Eggman with a series of bullets from his machinegun arm.

A dream-like voice disturbed Sonic's consciousness…Tails: "Get ready, Sonic! This might sting!"

Eggman's one human eye turned wide and he stood perfectly still, his shield maxed out. Something big was about to happen if the villain took such precautions.

Metal saw it as another exploit, rocketing towards the doctor for a good strike.

It never happened. Iron vibrations were drawn away from the arena, making the area perfectly still for the first time during the battle. Space shook the hedge into paralysis and even the space station's materials curved in a crazy wave. Static ran after the powerful distortion. Bright sparks jumped over Robotnik's force field, eventually turning it off.

As soon as it reached the perfected Sonic, though, his metal host came to a halt. So did everything else in his world. Tails set off an EMP bomb and erased Metal's programming from existence. Unfortunately, it also did tremendous damage to True Blue inside the steel armour, shocking him and short-circuiting the wires attached to his bones and muscles. Contractions were painful, but necessary. Anything to be rid of the parasitic copy and control his actions once more.

Once the perturbation ceased, Sonic found little change. He still couldn't move, and Eggman reigned supreme in the arena.

The man brought a huge support beam, cannibalised from his own Death Egg, and wrapped it around Sonic to weld him to the ground. Sonic would need time to get out even if full functionality returned to the armour. Huffing, the scientist had to live with the realisation that murdering a rat would have to wait. A filthy twin-tailed dog was far more dangerous to his disgust. Robotnik tried hard not to wince with indignation at the current plan.

He glared at Sonic one last time, wanting to charge right through the pest's gut, but a warning light forced him to postpone...everything. "Stay. Your little friend insists to take your solitary place in death. Chaos Control!"

More waves appeared in the hero's head. Everything was a blur. The world spun around a bottomless funnel while the hedge struggled to keep his life out of oblivion's gutter. In reality, nothing moved, nothing changed. It was the same Sonic the Hedgehog, even though he lacked most organs and would never again shake a friendly hand. That thought let him find peace.

Sensors turned back on, enabling interaction with the environment. He groaned, seeing the large piece of steel obstructing movement. Annoyance melted into worry, then hatred; Tails' voice awoke the hero in him.

"I love you, Sonic! Please, don't hate me today…" the fox whispered into the communicator. Death spread its wings to embrace the little one; Eggman's footfalls disturbed the silence.


	26. Miles' Goodbyes

Getting onto the Death Egg was a challenge unlike any other. Sonic had Chaos Control for aid. All Tails could have used was a frail spaceship. Eggman had launched weapons of mass destruction from the fortress to destroy the vast majority of G.U.N. vehicles capable of reaching the base. The organisation's high command and most elite troops were eliminated from existence.

Countless cities suffered from collateral damage. Life siphoning rays erased urban populations. He was readying the world to its end, sparing no one. If the Death Egg crashed into the planet…considering its new design and power core, Earth would be forever altered, if not returned to its original stare of volcanic hell. Escape was out of the question: all civilian spacecrafts used in the initial evacuation wave rebounded from the stratosphere. Robotnik's hidden bases encapsulated the globe in a tightening gravity field. Minutes after leaving orbit, Tails was informed of high-altitude planes being forced to land; an invisible force threatened to crush the fuselage up above. Humanity, a caged rat.

Exactly why the juvenile genius felt too shaky to go on the trip to robotic heck alone. The fox would have never even gotten beyond the Death Egg's first layers if it weren't for friendly help. Telekinesis saved him from falling victim to Eggman's latest nightmares. The dreaded E-600, Mecha Sonic's successors defended each level and corridor, using every trick in the book to make any lifeform lose his or her psyche. His companion and helper was soon called to return to Earth, though. From that moment, Tails lived with realisation the only way back to the surface would be with Sonic. The Death Egg had no emergency pods in G.U.N.'s leaked blueprints.

Chances dimmed within seconds. Signature Omega kept haunting the hero and setting traps with greater ingenuity than ever before. Tails succumbed to the science dragon in saving his True Blue friend and, consequently, himself. Eggman used his grandfather's technology to recreate his own body. In the two-tail's belief, Sonic would have come victorious only by…partial roboticisation.

He didn't know Eggman had messed with the system! Tails only wished to help his big brother figure, but risked him becoming a decaying piece of meat inside Metal Sonic, the iron frame's real host. Thankfully, an EMP bomb disabled the mechanical sentience and allowed both Sonic and Tails to progress.

Now, the vulpine prodigy stood in the core control Blue Blur previously ignored to save Amy. Miles' bomb turned off the station's override protection, so he could, finally, stop the Death Egg, less than a minute before it would have reached the point of no return. The space station could be turned back and destroyed at a safe distance.

You did it, Tails, the fox cheered his weary self on.

It was breathtaking to be at the heart of Eggman's brainchild. Three magnetic rings marked with ancient inscriptions, in a language Tails was alien to, stopped spinning around the center upon his arrival. Five energy shields with snake-like charge protectors dissipated, setting the creatures to scurry away freely. Eggman hadn't counted on such a turn of events, thinking no one would be stupid enough to use brute force and fry.

The whole control room structure was engraved in runes, even the exit had a special symbol on it replacing the doctor's regular logo. It seemed more like the inside of an odd medieval castle than an example of modern warfare.

Moist ancient walls were of least interest to the juvenile genius, though. He headed down a long shiny bridge to the very centre of the area, beyond a cloaking well that could not have been disabled even by the EMP blow. The boy gulped, closed his eyes, and stepped beyond the invisible shield, protecting Robotnik's greatest treasure. His fur fuzzed up in static, leaving the intruder breathless, but it was over before he knew it. Thankfully, Tails passed without difficulty.

"Whoah!" was the first word the fox had uttered for a while.

It was right before him, the doctor's secret and only weapon capable of making the fortress sturdy enough to destroy life on a whole planet. Tails had thought it was just a myth, but it floated there before his very own eyes! A machine, no, a being of scientifically impossible properties, Earth's Gravity Core.

Gnarled and uneven, the pearly smooth shape, no bigger than a watermelon, floated from a containment platform to his hands to remain there. Tails couldn't touch its protective surface, as it just pressed back, levitating between the palms. Still, it felt like the fox was holding something heavy and important. Closing his eyes, the prodigy could somehow mentally reach any part of the world. Through air, water and soil, his sight could exist everywhere and assimilate all there was to know about the blue planet.

He licked his lips in content: Exhilarating…

He had to stop. It was not rightful for him to accept such information. The Living Core should not have addressed him as a peer. Tails was a little kid with an oversized IQ, not a deity to be trusted with all answers of the world.

Huffing reassured him of the decision. The boy needed to take the core to safety. Wait…what huffing?

Turning around, Miles hoped for the best. "Sonic?"

He saw nothing, until a large grapple lurched him out of the cloaking mechanism and threw the boy on the ground. Tails held on to the Core; that granted him the ability to land unbruised. The youngster smiled, but it was short-lived.

Signature Omega, the madman's newest form was glaring at him as he paced from behind out of the shielded area. "Why do you, Miles Prower, attempt to take that, which is mine?" he asked with icy calculation.

They both knew who was done for. The rest was just wordplay. Life demanded it, and Tails would protect the stolen power to the last heart throb.

"Earth's gravity is not yours, Eggman!" Tails protested, backtracking with the core in his arms.

"All is mine, for I will recreate it according to my divine vision."

"The only thing that was always yours…is your jealousy of Gerald!"

"You dare mention that name aboard _my_ Death Egg?!" barked the evil genius, swinging the robot's sharp lance threateningly.

Too late to back down now. Miles bid his goodbyes to Blue Blur. No way would a tiny fox face off with the almighty behemoth.

"Plagiarism is not a form of ownership, villain!"

His retort brought the red to Eggman's eye, but he tried to settle things peacefully, nonetheless, for reasons unknown. "You will not talk this way about me near the Gravity Core! Unhand my prized possession before you drop it." Signature Omega's claw opened, the monster making an offering on Tails' level.

"No!" The fox turned away, still "holding" the weightless core.

Robotnik looked genuinely disappointed. His cumbersome figure disappeared from view and only the voice could prove he was still around. "As you wish, pest. Chaos Control! Charge!"

Tails deeply regretted closing his eyes. He didn't have a speck of a chance. The next thing he felt was a dull push. Something cold touched his belly and pressed forward, deeper, sending chills all over his body, draining him of precious warmth. The fox was still ignorant of the fact there was now a gap in his stomach, scraping an opening on the other side next to the spine. Eggman's lance went right through him, tiny saws ruining the boy further, slicing all nearby tissue into paper-thin bits.

Wet bits of fur and flesh landed on the path's railings. Blood spilled outside the gap. Ivo Robotnik no longer played games. The madman didn't even enjoy the view of another dying foe. He had taken enough lives to make death a part of his daily ritual. All that remained was to finish extinguishing Miles' spirit. One human eye fixated vision on the fox's muzzle.

Signature Omega hoisted his victim up for a closer look. "You took the power of supremacy in your hands and besmirched my trophy. Your kind die young…they wish to fly through life at the speed of light."

He then grabbed the fox by his tails with that claw and thrust the bloody lance out of the mangled flesh. Eggman smirked at one humorous memory, since he was now able to accomplish a small dream. One powerful thrust, all it took to tear the boy's tails straight off. The ragdoll body dropped to the floor, letting the doctor cut the appendages in half with the claw. Nostrils fumed from a horrific rush when that infidel's namesakes slithered between steel fingertips like molten butter.

"Hell is the only flight for you."

The bloody grapple then shot at the core, fighting its outward pulling force. It was fairly easy to stabilise the object with two Chaos Emeralds for aid. Eggman flipped the root of his lance, revealing a hollow spot, a perfect fit for the supernatural existence. The lance went back into shape, and the scientist aimed it at Earth.

His weapon fired in a flash, the spear storming through every solid wall on all layers to the Death Egg's exterior. "You accomplished nothing. _My_ Core is flying straight to Robotropolis." There was a small satisfied chuckle before the man approached Tails. "Rejoice, fool. Your last sensation will be lust for power Robotnik had achieved... And pain. I will watch as you are liquefied into fuel for my stronghold. So long, bookworm!"

A strong kick set the body airborne. Blood drizzled out of the gap in his abdomen, and a single tear of regret escaped his eye. It was Sonic he wanted to see last before death would come, not the maniacal doctor. He wished he could have smiled then.

Someone upstairs must have heard his plead. Sonic rushed in. Hopefully, he would forgive the boy for tricking Blue Blur into a robotic change. Hopefully…they wouldn't see each other out there for many years.

Best of luck to you, Sonic! the boy's mind waved farewell, embracing eternity.

"**No**!!!"


	27. Reached Sonic's Chest

Eggman's madness knew no limits. It was beyond description. Had Sonic been able to breathe, his lungs would have broken open from agony and disbelief.

Not Tails…not the only friend he had left in that world.

"Enjoy the view, Sonic. Doctor Robotnik is ready for the next patient," the man mocked, following the expiring fox off the foot bridge in the core control room. Abyss was ready to take another victim.

Knuckles, Rouge, Amy and Shadow: every good memory ever offered to the hero had already vanished with their lives. Eggman would be stopped at all costs. It was ironic: for once in his life, the hedgehog had virtually nothing to lose. He had already given himself up to be roboticised to gain the edge.

The disturbing waves returned to his mind, numbing the consciousness with a palette of misery and anguish. Only now they did not blur the vision or other senses. No. They merely made the heart – once full of sweet, peaceful love – die as an emotional waste of space. Rage tensed his wired muscles. The hedgehog's technologically enhanced body took a threatening stance. Metal's aggression programming helped Sonic coldly calculate a devastating blow. They would be avenged. Eggman would go through seven stages of hell as he deserved it.

Sonic rushed at the pompous villain in the shape of a wrecking ball, ready to smash Signature Omega's armour and rip out the man's entrails. He'd make it in time. Spinning towards the goal, the hero had to dodge numerous projectiles launched by the enemy, but the doctor's robot received what was coming to him. Clank and sizzle resonated in the spherical room: steel gnawed steel in a match of unparalleled brutality. The hero bet everything on violence. Even if his eyes no longer carried tears, he'd squeeze some out of the evil.

Alarmed by the outburst, Sonic's nemesis planned out a short retreat. Eggman allowed himself to skid off the bridge with scars of molten metal as deep as twenty centimetres and a burning coat under the shield.

"Nyouu!" the man fumbled, losing balance to topple into the empty power-burning core. He still managed to glare down the vermin.

"I'll get you, bro!" Sonic reached out to grab the lifeless fox's hand before the figure went out of sight into electricity on the bottom of the spherical room. "It'll be okay! You'll heal! I'll use my life support to fix you up," the hedgehog spoke nervously.

He hoped for the best. He always had, despite the implanted computer announcing "terminal damage" to the boy's body. Lethal machinery that Sonic has become could not undo the damage.

"I'm sorry…" was all the fox whimpered out in return.

Sonic patted him on the shoulder with his knife-sharp metal palm, cringing that the slightest touch further injured the frail boy. "No, buddy, you're coming out of this. You're the only one that can still save the hero in me."

"…it for me…no one else should feel our..."

Blue Blur didn't get the time to ask him to continue. Tails was stolen from him. Even after being sent to fry in his fortress, the maniac managed to shoot his grapple at Sonic's sidekick. The fox was quickly reeled towards Signature Omega as both plummeted towards their doom. Robotnik despicably lurched his friend right off the deathbed.

The hero was powerless to watch, but his augmented sight allowed zooming in on the disaster.

Eggman grinned, squeezing the fox's head with his vicious claw. "This is as far as we go together, fox. Have a good Robotropolis goodbye!"

Signature Omega's hand lit up from using the Chaos Emerald, and chromed fingers pressed firmly against bone. Nothing could offer enough resistance to them. Tails had left the living long before hitting the bottom.

And Sonic could see…everything. He pounded support beneath his legs in denial. Eggman hadn't done that! Nobody was evil enough to murder his best friend! Humanity existed even in the inhuman. Everyone deserved a second chance, even the darkest of the dark. Everyone except Eggman. He had become limitlessly evil, completely insane. The devil would be eliminated. No second takes.

"**Egg-ma-an**!!!" Sonic shrieked, his hands scraping the floor tiles. Where was he hiding?! "Come out and face me, demented piece of shit!"

The villain appeared on cue, ramming the hedge with a smaller version of his lance, having ejected the first. Signature Omega aimed for the heart, charging the chaos weapon for a quick finisher.

Sonic wouldn't buy that. His one functional arm wrapped around the chained claw and snapped it off the madman's machine, shifting its aim.

Eggman fired, but the ray went through metal, not flesh, letting the hedge inside pool the emerald's energy.

"Is that all you've got?"

The doctor growled, singeing the imbecilic rodent with his eye beam. It only made his enemy laugh. Sonic's grip went higher, mangling the doctor's flamethrower. One swift pull turned the tables on Eggman and his back was flipped to the ground.

"Us hedgehogs are adaptable. Your emeralds can't harm me now." With that, Sonic's fingers broke through the man's glass helmet and snatched the Chaos Emerald right out of Robotnik's eye socket.

The hero grinned once he took a jump with the jewel in hand. His quills gained light as before. Sonic thrust forward for a swift attack without a blink. The spindash knocked one grasshopper leg off Signature Omega, making the doctor wince. A tornado sliced the other off, leaving the foe to wobble without support. He would destroy Eggman piece by piece, and bask in every brutal offence.

When Sonic got ready for a homing attack at the torso, the villain knew it was time to act. "Chaos Control!"

He disappeared an instance before the hedgehog spun through the foot bridge. Retreat was his only current option. At least, he wanted it to seem so.

Sonic's emerald allowed him to use the move as well; therefore, he could see Eggman moving through time and space. The villain was caught. Fear struck his one eye as Blue Blur interrupted warping to safety. A single strike was all it took to smash the emerald-equipped arm away. Robotnik gulped when time returned to normal: his robotic self was dismembered.

"Not so brave without this to protect your scrawny ass, eh?" the hero sneered, poking the gem against Eggman's face. "So the almighty witch doctor is going to be beaten by one and only Sonic the Hedgehog. Any last words before I bust your brains?"

The madman snorted. "You cannot destroy Robotnik as Robotnik will destroy you."

"We all heard that before. You bore me!"

Sonic's own hand literally fell off at the retort, releasing the clutched emerald into the depths of the core. Speechless, the hero looked at the man, whose satisfaction was more than evident. Even whilst on the ground without any way to move, the bastard managed to slip a fast one on him!

"I've made it more interesting for you," he chortled, seeing that the hedge was now also without additional jewel help. "As you can see, true genius is capable of working under the most hostile conditions."

Exhaust pipes erected from Signature Omega's sides, exhuming flames. Robotnik was back on track, and something had just shot a hole in the hedge's right leg.

Genius reigns over heroics. Eggman laughed viciously, keeping the enemy clueless. In the meantime, the doctor's laser marker reached Sonic's chest.


	28. Three Letters

"What's happening, Eggman?!" the hedgehog shouted, unable to grasp reality.

His arm fell to the abyss, and the man put a hole in his leg. Were it closer to the mechanic joint, Sonic's abilities would have gone down to zero. The hero tried to find the source of instantaneous injury. Something the maniac had not used yet…

Eggman was out of rockets, no Chaos Emeralds within reach and it couldn't have been the redundant plasma cannon. Unless it was the other gun on Signature Omega's shoulder. It looked more like a pipe than a gun, actually. A bleak spot of light glowed in a cylindrical container that was slightly reddish at front, contrasting with the silver of Eggman's armour.

Suddenly, the spot of light disappeared. A shutter closed silently. The target marker was on his chest.

Jump for it, hero!

Blue Blur leaped out of the way, taking a stride forward to make it more difficult to aim. In the dash, the hedgehog could hear a series of pops coming from behind his previous spot. There was a small smouldering gap in the core's wall. Howling came from it – the weapon had punctured all the way to the Death Egg's exterior!

"Genius, Sonic, has all the aces. All the time," mocked the scientist, floating above the foe in his now-egg-shaped metal silhouette.

"For a jerk, you sure talk weak."

Sonic darted up to slash into Eggman's belly, but when he was about to scratch Signature Omega's surface, the villain disappeared. Only the doctor's omnipresent voice, ringing through speakers, meant he was still around.

"Actions are more valuable than words," a meaningless whisper roamed in the silence. "Yours led to death of everyone you loved. And now, _my_ beautiful Death Egg will use the emeralds _you_ dropped to continue its doomsday flight to Earth!"

Signature Omega materialised behind the hedgehog, swiping the spearhead at his metal cheek. A thin slit appeared beneath Sonic's eye panel. Hissing from the inside, as well as a metal-tasting reddish vapour explained a direct hit. He was bleeding.

"You won't! Egghead!"

Another desperate attack to get Eggman down from flight level ended up as a failure. Sonic merely pursued the evil genius, while Robotnik took the liberty of melting bits and pieces off the foot bridge on Blue Blur's path. Neither seemed to have the edge. Sonic hoped for it.

"Now who's boring, Sonic?" the villain smirked, slowing down.

Now he can head for the kill! Sonic got ready for that sweet shot when his feet came to a complete standstill. A fifteen second countdown appeared everywhere on the round walls in the core control room. Once the image changed, it was taken up wholly by deep azure of the planet beneath them.

"You've lost, hero. Witness my victory in despair."

Cocky beyond sanity, the man's pod-like robotic form descended to Sonic's level to have a magnificent close-up of face-first agony. If the rodent's pain was a drink, Eggman would have been slurping loudly in disgusting gratification the entire time. His ego purred in contentment when the hero's fist slammed against the ground, trying to accommodate seething hatred. The scientist breathed with extreme joy of being alive, trying to get the most out of the encroaching catastrophe with his senses. It's not every day that one can end the world!

"I'll get you for this!" was all the hedgehog spat back before lunging at Eggman.

Using his one hand, the steel and diamond hero latched onto the foe. Shaking his quills violently, Sonic managed to shred the chromed layer of armour and even give Eggman a nosebleed. A diamond as sharp as a razor brushed against the man's flesh, leaving marks akin that he left on Sonic's face earlier.

All the glory previously present on the doctor's face boiled into all-out rage. "Repugnant pest!" he screamed in an unusually high tone of voice, placing the target marker on Sonic's forehead. The plasma weapon turned with the barrel nearly touching the hedge. "Die!"

One blast was enough to incinerate the cybernetic facemask Sonic wore. Eggman could now look him straight in the eye. The hedgehog was pale as a ghost. His face was covered in beads of thick sweat, slipping down in lines of matted fur. Exhaustion roamed in the male's irises. The physical body incorporated into a machine was not taking the alliance well. Despite extensive life support and organ detachment, damage has been occurring to the hero the entire time.

Though, these were merely signs of fatigue and progressing carbon intoxication. Eggman's true amusement came when he noticed thin wires slithering towards the mouth underneath his arch enemy's skin. That foolish hedgehog gave it all away! Even speech was fully dependent on his batteries.

"Wuahaha, so that's how your face looks like now? Robotnik's work looks pretty on you." Another shot followed, melting off everything down to his neck. The villain could revel in unfathomable delight because his enemy had nearly all quills shaved off to fit in the cybernetic shape resulting in a round head. "How does it feel, Sonic, to be like me?"

Eggman licked his lips spitefully. He could almost taste the traumatising shame Sonic felt.

"Shut up!"

Signature Omega was sent several metres away from an unexpected kick. Propulsion made getting back up easy. It hurt to thump to the ground, but it was a drop in the sea compared to bliss in seeing the mighty needle mouse fall.

Eggman's physique slowly spun around the broken hero. "Malevolent, spiteful…and all alone in this forsaken world. You could have lived as part of my new Metal Sonic, but now… Ha-hahaha! You've lost, hero! You've lost it all." The last words cost a weak, but threatening glare from the enemy. "So what if you wish to destroy me now? It is meaningless: in three seconds this base will be irreversibly caught by Earth's gravity."

The hedgehog sprung back into offensive, pointing at the man indignantly as he kept floating around. "Shut the fuck up! I don't care about the world! And I don't care about your _bastardicilous_ eggs!"

His hand squeezed into a fist, dying to feel the warmth of bloody flesh. Sonic tore a steel quill out from his back and chucked it at Eggman, cutting the plasma weapon off. "I'm so damn sick of seeing your fat ass… You die! **No matter what**!!!"

Next thing the doctor sensed was Sonic's melting foot, smashed into Signature Omega's exhaust. The villain grunted, dropping back on the bridge, immobilised at last. The hedgehog was waiting for that to happen. Sonic's long diamond-tipped fingers slashed across the man's face, leaving long cuts from forehead to chin.

Eggman tried to stop the process, trying to impale his spear into the desperate enemy, but Sonic merely bent it backwards. Robotnik was rendered defenceless at last. But why did he not stop chuckling?

Lights flashed red. The whole room quaked with increasing force. The Death Egg was entering Earth's atmosphere. All those people! There had to be a way out!

Seeing Blue Blur in disarray, Eggman slugged his lower torso with the only weapon left. "Smile, dear hero," he whispered maliciously before the next hit punctured right through Sonic's ribs.

The infernal rat disobeyed…

"Smile, I say!" Another slug blasted through his neck. The hedgehog's face turned purple. And still he wouldn't listen to the man in power! "Die like an ignorant rat! Smile, I order you!"

Finally, the hero's expression hinted a smirk. Only Sonic knew the real reason for it while sparks bounced to his face. The little curve grew into a grin soon: the doctor remained clueless, in his little world of self-proclaimed genius.

"Ah, feels good, doesn't it? Have some more!" Signature Omega chortled, pointing the laser at the hero's heart.

A dull popping sound followed. It was powerful enough to make everything inside the hero go out of control. A squirt of blood escaped from the opening in his chest. Sonic's irises shrunk into tiny dots. Was this…the end of Sonic the Hedgehog?

"There, your deathwish is granted," Robotnik wheezed, denying the possibility the nightmare would end soon.

Fear spiderwebbed across Sonic's muzzle. Eyes shifted aimlessly, and everywhere they'd stop, the same vision would disturb them. Eggman to the left. Eggman to the right. Top, bottom…right again… Eggman everywhere!

Blue Blur screamed awfully, head-butting the villain right through the bridge. Red splashed out from every opening once the free fall began. Life was retreating from him with increasing speed while both hero and villain plummeted down to the core's electrified nadir. He could no longer speak. Sonic's mind began blacking out whilst a heavenly warmth entered his senses, dulling the painful surge. Nature gave him the last token of mercy, unlike Eggman, who just wouldn't shut up!

The man was greatly dissatisfied, glaring down his opponent in mid-flight. "Fool. You have merely brought your demise closer." Carefully aiming, he'd give the hero silence; the laser turned to his forehead. "So long, rodent."

Blue Blur could not feel anything when a small opening allowed light to bore through his cranium. He was not subjected to more pain when the doctor fired three more slugs at everyone's hopes. Not even Robotnik could stop the free fall until the cerulean corpse reached the power arcs on the bottom, melting into them and ceasing to exist.

Unlike the evil genius. A small jetpack caught him in descent. Signature Omega rose back up. His lips quivered in disbelief until a nervous laugh escaped them. Eggman soon found the right words.

"I win! I win! Robotnik reigns supreme!" he cheered, spinning in solitary space of the core control. Spittle burst from his mouth with uncontrollable laughter. He could barely speak. "No more Sonic, no more Shadow! No more self-proclaimed heroes! And all it cost me was…" he looked around lost for words, gleeful like a child.

"Emergency! Emergency!" an alarm blared out. Eggman glanced at his exosuit controls.

His jaw dropped. "Wait a minute! What…how?!"

Sonic had torn the front panel off Signature Omega's abdomen, uncovering the nuclear bomb. That time, Eggman had no control over the countdown: all connection wires were cut. Without any functional limbs, the doctor had no means of getting it out. His own blackmail…turned against him.

The villain growled, turning the jetpack to maximum velocity. The Death Egg would crash! Earth would be obliterated!

And the amount of fuel he had left was not even enough to get him through the first door. Eggman cried out painfully, rage squeezing bloody tears out of his eye sockets, both of them. "You've made a sworn enemy in the next world, hedgehog… Mark my words! Robotnik. Reigns. **Supre-eeme**!!!"

Light swallowed his final words, peering through every obstacle, eradicating all in its way. The blinding flash coming from inside the villain was impossible to contain. Especially when it reached the discarded Chaos Emeralds. Jewels acted as a catalyst, offering perpetual power to the explosion, letting it engulf the whole stronghold from the inside. Unparalleled power burst through every nook and cranny of the mighty space station. Everything it used to be ceased to exist in a cloud of nuclear disaster. The outer layers were blasted into smithereens, finally allowing the explosion to roam free and light up the sky, sending a tidal wave colossus to the world's tender surface.

Many people would die. Countless creatures would perish from the blast. But it would be the true end of the greatest threat in mankind's history. Gerald Robotnik's legacy would be no longer casting a long grim shadow over the planet and its future. His grandson now had the world with four winds to spread his ashes and leave a bit of Eggman in all corners of the globe. The evil genius received his prize, yet did not live to see it.

He really was forsaken, but no longer old. The memory would last, and one could guess that this was what the scientist truly wanted. No infidel would deny the influence one man had on the entire solar system. The moon and its host would be eternally engraved by Robotnik.

Eggman's smiley logo melted during its flight through Earth's atmosphere. Only worthless unintelligible scrap landed in the form of puny meteorites. The planet's deep blue sea assimilated every piece of evidence the Death Egg was in existence.

Fireworks in the sky.

Everyone would try to forget the horrifying events, most of which would never find room in daylight, shrouded by secrecy. No human would bear the knowledge of what exactly happened on doomsday. Hopes of Sonic's survival would remain in their hearts. Missing, but hopeful, he would remain in Earth's households along with pictures of his loyal friends that, like their hero, had dived into the unknown.

The only thing to reach the surface unscathed had three letters on the cockpit: G.U.N.

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_**TO BE CONTINUED  
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Author's note: _Smile_ ends here. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Presenting you this work has been a wonderful experience. A tiny chapter intended to remain a one-shot grew into the ending of an epic that was never written. Were it not for you, readers, this work would not have gotten this far! It means a lot to me. In fact, I appreciate the support so much I am ready to unveil a prequel that contributed to the finale. _Blazing Mental_ is already present on my profile, and it explains everything this piece has conveniently left a blank.

I'd like to give exclusive thanks to my editor team: Mia, Kelsey and Maria. You gave me the stamina to carry on and issued improvement before my pages could reach the public. Most of all, I wish to thank my muse, whose love and inspiration is now helping me to drive the next instalment forward.

Critics and fans alike: Iris Sweetheart, Lucian Queen, Valenor, seektorectify, Divine Wolfe and many others, I have remained loyal to you in promises of intense action, no interruptions, integrity and responsiveness.

For the last time, I encourage the audience to input their feedback on the story. Anything you say weighs more than gold, dear readers, and this cannot be denied.

Thank You!


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